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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000994">The Adventures of WayV Mercenaries: The Lady’s Temple</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchanted_doughnut/pseuds/enchanted_doughnut'>enchanted_doughnut</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossdressing, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Humor, M/M, Mercenaries, Minor Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchanted_doughnut/pseuds/enchanted_doughnut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The WayV Mercenaries' Unwritten Rules - Written Out </p>
<p>1) If a job has been accepted, it must be completed regardless of how dangerous or difficult it becomes (We can haggle for more money later, if required).</p>
<p>2) Never get a client killed on a job.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Morally questionable and money-hungry, there’s little the WayV Mercenaries wouldn’t do, so when offered a simple mission to escort a couple across the kingdom to get married they accept it unthinkingly. Unfortunately, the couple dies on the way and WayV are forced to come up with an alternative plan or else risk losing their gold and reputation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten &amp; Liu Yang Yang, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Liu Yang Yang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Empty Phial of Poison</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was just a silly idea, I really don’t know how it got so long, lol </p>
<p>I debated for a while on what names to address everyone as, and there’s the Winformation episode where Winwin said that Kun calls him Sicheng but Lucas (aka Yukhei/Xuxi) and Yangyang call him Winwin, which didn’t help! I eventually decided to go with stage names because I figured as mercenaries they probably had aliases. You know at least one of them is outrunning a bounty, lol</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Honourable, Reliable and Great Value for Money was the reputation the WayV Mercenaries wanted to have. The reality was a little different, as each of the members had questionable morals and a tendency to make poor life choices. Kun liked to point out (with great disappointment) that with each ill-choice made, they were taking another step downward into The Reaper’s Abyss, to which Hendery argued back that it couldn’t be so bad, as none of them had actually died yet. </p><p>But don’t think they were barbarians with a complete disregard for the law! They had a code of honour they (mostly) abided by. </p><p>If someone employed them, they would see that the mission was performed to the best of their abilities. Needed extra help on the battlefront? Lucas and Xiaojun would have the skirmish finished by brunch. High-stakes theft? Yangyang could do it with his eyes closed. A scandalous secret on it’s way to your enemies? Winwin was a master with a bow and arrow. Needed an illegitimate heir to the throne killed? Maybe talk to Ten about that one, because Kun would likely refuse and Hendery would panic thinking you’re referring to him. </p><p>WayV weren’t associated with the official guilds that had been started by their ancestors (though apparently, Winwin had ‘connections’ to the infamous Assassins Guild before he joined WayV) however, they had a reputation for being Honourable, Reliable and Great Value for Money, and that came from word of mouth. It wasn’t like they could simply pin a flyer on the wall of a tavern and wait for clients to approach. </p><p>And that’s why, when one (or two) of their clients died, it was a <em> very </em> big problem.</p><p>Outside The Burnt Worm, the only tavern in a small town called Duskwood located along the Imperial Highway, four of the seven WayV members were staring silently at the dead bodies in the horse-drawn carriage. </p><p>They were a young man and woman dressed in rich clothing with matching bracelets of red and yellow tied around their wrists. He was the eldest son of a minor lord, and she, his beloved bride-to-be. The lord had employed WayV to escort them across the kingdom to The Lady’s Temple to receive the Goddess’s blessing, as was tradition when getting married. Believing it to be a simple mission, Kun assigned Yangyang and Hendery to it. He had even said to them that he and Ten would meet up when they passed through Duskwood, and buy them a meal for their hard work.  </p><p>Now, the couple was slouched over in the carriage, their vacant eyes staring out into nothingness with pink froth leaking from their mouths. An unlabelled, empty bottle lay by their feet, the matching cork curled in the man’s stiff hand. </p><p>Kun slowly turned away from the carriage and stared at Yangyang with eyes wider than the two moons. “... Why,” he asked, “did you think hiding a bottle of poison inside the carriage was a good idea?!” </p><p>“Ah, because it’s better to be over-prepared than under,” Yangyang defended himself. Only the involuntary twitching of his hands betrayed his unfazed, yet energetic demeanour. “What if we had been, like, attacked by bandits on the road and the only way to fend them off was with poisoned weapons?”</p><p>“What is <em> that </em>then?” Kun said, pointing to the phials hanging off Yangyang’s belt. </p><p>“... Poison. But there might have been, like, <em> a lot </em>of bandits.”</p><p>“This was a simple escort job,” Kun continued, his pitch jumping alarmingly as his brows knotted in exasperation and disbelief. “The likelihood of bandits along the highway to The Lady’s Temple is <em> very </em> low, as it’s frequently patrolled by the King’s soldiers.”</p><p>“But we’re, like, in the middle of <em> nowhere,” </em>Yangyang said, gesturing around to the tiny town, comprised of The Burnt Worm, a general store, a run-down blacksmith’s forge and a particularly large goat that watching them from a paddock, chewing grass slowly. “And you know about the stories about towns like this, too.” </p><p>“No, I don’t,” Kun said, bluntly. </p><p>Hendery cleared this throat. “After being on the road for hours on end, travellers see the burning torches in the distance and think <em>‘oh, that’s a cosy looking town. I should stop and enjoy the hand-ground, wheat bread and rest my head on the hay-stuffed pillows’,” </em>he said. “But then, they wake up in the middle of the night and find themselves surrounded by even more hay. For you see, the townsfolk had kidnapped them and are holding them hostage in a barn just off the main road.”</p><p>Hendery pointed down the road, and the others turned their heads. “There’s nothing out here and nothing <em> to </em> hear. The townsfolk need new people to stay. They need to increase their numbers. It could be the same for those two,” Hendery nodded back to the carriage, and the others’ heads swivelled back. “They might be rich, but the town they came from was small, too. Just look at them. Their faces look the same. Maybe there was another reason they needed The Lady’s blessing.”</p><p>They stared at the dead bodies, noting how their skin <em>was </em>the same pale white, and their hair matching shades of onyx. Their noses did look similar... <em>and</em> their mouths were hanging open in the same way. Had WayV accidentally unearthed a scandalous plot twist on their mission?!</p><p>“They look the same because they’re both dead!” Kun cried out, putting an end to Hendery’s nonsense. “They’re going to the Temple because their families can <em> afford </em> to employ mercenaries to escort them across the kingdom to get married! Your speculation does nothing to change the fact they are <em> dead </em>and it happened on your watch! I thought you and Yangyang could have handled this mission on your own.” </p><p>Hendery’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t plant the poison!” </p><p>“This was a simple escort mission,” Kun repeated, his voice starting to break, “that we were getting paid <em> very well </em> for! No bandits, no fighting, <em> no risk. </em> So <em> how </em>did they end up dead?!”</p><p>“Well… they drank poison.” Hendery pointed at the empty bottle. </p><p>A strangled sound came from Kun’s throat. He gripped his hair with tight fists, nearly pulling the blue locks out clean from their roots. He had been determined to master elemental magic recently, with a current focus on frost magic. The excessive casting wasn’t without consequence, and resulted in his hair slowly turning from an array of mahoganies and purples, finally reaching a sky blue.  </p><p>“This could be worse,” Ten spoke up, placing his hand comfortingly on Kun’s shoulder, his inky purple robes brushing against Kun’s lighter, champagne coloured ones. “They could have drunk the poison several days later.”</p><p>“How is this better?” Kun said, indignantly. “They’re <em> dead.” </em></p><p>“Because no-one <em>knows </em>it yet,” Ten told him, smiling. “Imagine if this happened right before they arrived at the Temple. The bodies would tumble out of the carriage and right onto The Lady’s feet.” </p><p>Kun looked like he was about to cry and Ten kept patting his shoulder comfortingly. </p><p>“We should continue this discussion inside,” Ten added. “We’re starting to gather an audience.”  </p><p>They indeed had begun attracting attention. Including the goat still watching them from its paddock, several villagers were looking in their direction, the most subtle being an older woman who had swept the same spot of her porch so much she had buffed it into a shine and a man who was crouched nearby thoroughly tying (and re-tying) his boot laces. </p><p>Taking a deep, shaky breath, Kun closed the carriage door and made a quick hand gesture over it. A glowing seal appeared before it faded into the wood a second later. Kun turned back to the responsible party. “Let’s talk inside.”</p><p>Yangyang and Hendery stared at each other. Kun rarely lost his temper with them, though they certainly had gotten him close on more occasions than anyone could count. And in perfect truth, they wished he <em> would </em>just snap and shout at them. They could then laugh at him, rile him up even more, and afterwards when he calmed down, everything would be back to normal. But Kun tended to handle matters seriously, so Yangyang and Hendery dragged their feet behind him into the tavern. </p><p>Late in the afternoon, the tavern already was gathering it’s regular patrons, and a cheerful bard playing the lute welcomed them as the door swung open. Small tables were squashed into the open space, backed up against aged barrels of ale and cider. Yellow candles centred each table, the wax melting into the coarse grain, proved the only light besides the roaring fire. Several heads turned as the patrons looked up from their bowls of venison stew and hand-ground, wheat bread before grunting and turning back to their meal. Stale smells permeated the air; spilt booze soaked in the timber, rotten vegetables and the pungent odour from the burning candles.  </p><p>
  <em> “They descend from the city floating in the sky, the earth creating beneath them as they pass by.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Myths and legends are sung of their coming boon, as the heroes step forward and walk on the moon.” </em>
</p><p>Despite being ignored, the bard’s enthusiasm didn’t dimmer as they were used to performing for unresponsive crowds on a daily basis. Their coin purse was also already full from Kun and Ten listening as they waited for Yangyang and Hendery to arrive with their (presumed live) clients.</p><p>“We already booked rooms for everyone upstairs,” Ten said, as they followed Kun through the tavern to the crooked staircase hidden behind several barrels. An old man was huddled over a dim table in the corner, his half-finished tankard tucked against his chest as he snored loudly. “I wish we knew they had died beforehand, we would have saved money on the spare room.” </p><p>Kun shot Ten a withering glare over his shoulder as they ascended the stairs, to which Ten smiled back sweetly. </p><p>They squeezed inside a room comprising of two cots pressed against the walls and a small drawer with a vase of wilting flowers between them. The smell of rotting vegetables somehow seemed even stronger than it did downstairs. Maybe they were directly above the kitchen? Ten sat down comfortably on one of the beds, his robes fanning out across the stained blankets, and Yangyang slowly sat down beside him. Hendery shuffled around, untying his scabbard and pulling his shield over his head. His blonde hair was tousled from the movement, but rather than being silly it simply looked handsomely windswept. This combined with his shining armour, he looked like a prince who had ridden horseback along the frontlines of a heroic battle, inspiring and rallying his troops.  </p><p>Hendery sat down on the spare bed with his sword and shield resting beside him. Kun closed the door with an audible click and remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at them silently. When he didn’t begin speaking, Yangyang and Hendery began to fidget. </p><p>“So, like, the others haven’t come back yet,” Yangyang said, unable to handle the silence any longer. </p><p>“I thought they’d meet up with us by the time we got here,” Hendery jumped into the conversation eagerly. “The elves must be dragging it out.”</p><p>“Yeah, they live for centuries. They wouldn’t have any urgency.”</p><p>“I’d go crazy trying to work with them! Lucas is slow enough as it is, and he’s what? Half?” </p><p>“I think he’s, like, less than half, but all the elf blood went into his height.” </p><p>When Ten put his hand on Yangyang’s knee, he instantly closed his mouth and the painful silence returned. Kun was pacing back and forth from the table with wilted flowers to the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The hem of his robes swished against the floor, kicking up tiny amounts of dust. </p><p>“So,” Kun finally said. “Our clients are dead. Yangyang hid poison inside the carriage and they drank it.”   </p><p>“This isn’t my fault!” Yangyang exclaimed, instantly jumping to his feet, knocking Ten’s hand away. “I never told them to <em> drink </em> it! Who even finds a bottle of unknown liquid, and is, like, <em> ‘this looks tasty, I’m going to drink the whole thing even though I have no idea what it is!’?’ </em></p><p>“Never overestimate someone’s intelligence,” Ten said, tugging on his arm to sit back down. “They might have simply thought it was a bottle of alcohol.”</p><p>“I overestimated Yangyang’s intelligence,” Kun grumbled pinching the bridge of his nose.</p><p>“Which poison was it, anyway?” Hendery asked.</p><p>“The Reaper’s Agony,” Yangyang admitted, half-sheepishly, half-proud. It was a difficult poison to brew correctly. Colourless, with the faintest taste of earthy bitterness, a single drop would have someone on their back in thirty seconds flat. </p><p>Hendery whistled, impressed. </p><p>“Yes, congratulations,” Kun grumbled sarcastically, still kneading the bridge of his nose like he was desperately fending off a migraine. “You brewed a poison deadly enough to kill a giant and our clients drank it.”  </p><p>Yangyang tilted his head. “It wouldn’t kill a <em>giant. </em>Maybe a baby giant.”</p><p>“Are they still called babies if they're giants?” Hendery asked. “How <em> big </em>is a baby giant? I’ve never seen one before. Or a pregnant giant. Do lady giants even get pregnant? Or do they just... lay eggs?” </p><p>“I thought they came from rocks?”</p><p>“No, that’s dwarves.”</p><p>“Please stop,” Kun sighed, his hand dropping from his face. “We have slightly more pressing issues at hand than giant procreation. We need to solve this situation.”</p><p>“What are you thinking, Kun?” Ten asked. </p><p>He took a deep breath. “We should go back to their families. We tell them what has happened. We return the gold we took for the mission and <em> never </em>let this happen again.”</p><p>The others immediately blanched. </p><p>“I’m fairly sure Lucas has spent his share, already,” Ten said. “And Xiaojun mentioned wanting to buy an enchanted axe before they left.”  </p><p>“Why did we have to split the gold with everyone, anyway,” Hendery complained. “Yangyang and I are the ones doing the mission, you just sat around relaxing and drinking ale!”  </p><p>“Believe me, that mistake won’t happen again,” Kun replied bitingly. “But that doesn’t matter, now. WayV took on the mission and we split the gold, therefore we are all responsible for cleaning this mess up.” </p><p>“Except that Winwin, Lucas and Xiaojun aren’t even here. They got our gold and a cushy diplomacy mission with some elves.” </p><p> “And we haven’t even gotten our share of gold for <em> their </em>mission,” Yangyang added. “It’s, like, completely unfair.”</p><p>“They haven’t been paid yet!” Kun cried out. “You were paid in advance for the <em> assurance </em>nothing would happen to them!” </p><p>“What if,” Ten said slowly, ignoring the argument brewing in the small room, “we don’t tell anyone what happened.” </p><p>There was a brief pause. “What do you mean?” Kun frowned. </p><p>“Our mission was to escort the happy couple to The Lady’s Temple,” Ten said, “so let’s do that.”</p><p>Hendery laughed loudly. “Right, because no-one specified they needed to be <em>alive, </em>simply unharmed. Here you go, Lady Goddess! I promise they were warm a few days ago.” </p><p>“I mean, like, with the amount of Reaper’s Agony they drank, they probably didn’t have time to feel pain before they died…” Yangyang trailed off, his mouth hanging open. He turned to Ten, bouncing excitedly on the bed. “Ten! Ten, you’re a genius!” </p><p>“I know,” Ten laughed. </p><p>“You can just, like, necromance them back to life!” Yangyang said. “We deliver the ‘living’ couple to the Temple and complete the mission! Then we leave and they, like, die again, but it won’t matter ‘cause we’ll be gone and no-one will suspect us!” </p><p>Ten and Kun winced for very different reasons. </p><p>“My magic isn’t nearly as strong to perform something like that,” Ten said. “You’ve seen the dead I’ve raised; do you really think they would pass off as living humans?”</p><p>Yangyang paused. “Maybe they’re just, like… really drunk.”</p><p>“On alcohol hidden in the carriage walls,” Hendery added.  </p><p>“We are <em> not </em> dumping the bodies and running,” Kun said. “At the very <em> least </em>they deserve a proper burial.” </p><p>“The Priestesses don’t know what the couple looks like,” Ten continued with his idea. “We just need to be acknowledged escorting <em> a </em>couple to the Temple to receive The Lady’s Blessing. What happens after the ceremony is no longer our responsibility.”  </p><p>“That’s what I said!” Yangyang exclaimed. “You said my idea was bad and you literally just repeated it.” </p><p>Ten rolled his eyes. “A <em> living </em>couple, Yangyang. Not a necromanced one.” </p><p>“So you want to find a couple willing to play along with this?” Kun said so steadily it was barely posed as a question. “Who will pretend to be a nobleman and woman, get <em> married </em>before The Lady’s presence, and not talk about it ever again?”</p><p>“That’s going to cost a lot,” Hendery said, his lips pursing like he had bitten into something sour, “even if Ten threatens to strip the skin off their skeletons. I know this was a well-paid mission, but how much gold do we really want to be giving away?”  </p><p>The answer was quick and unanimous. “None.” </p><p>“Then it’s simple. Two of us will need to be the couple,” Hendery concluded. His and Yangyang’s eyes met. “Yangyang should be the woman!” </p><p>“I can’t pretend to be a girl!” Yangyang jumped up onto his feet again. “Look at my face! My cheekbones! I have abs now! I’m, like, way too masculine!”  </p><p>Even Kun couldn’t stop himself from snorting. </p><p><em>“You got</em> them killed!” Hendery argued back. “You need to be the one in a dress! I’d make a better handsome nobleman than you; it’s not like I wasn’t born for the role, anyway.” </p><p>As Yangyang spluttered, Ten rolled his eyes. “You’re such children. <em>I'll be</em> the woman.” </p><p>Everyone considered him as he sat on the bed with his legs crossed, his dark robes fanned out around him like a dark void. He naturally was slim and delicate, and unlike the warriors (or even the rogues for that matter) in WayV, he hadn’t needed to focus on his physical strength and bulk up. Imagining him as a woman wasn’t a far stretch of their imagination. </p><p>“That could work,” Hendery said slowly. “You might need longer hair, though.” </p><p>“Hopefully the general store has a wig,” Ten said, grimacing slightly as he touched his short, black hair, “or else there will be some very unhappy horses in town.”  </p><p>“So, are you and Hendery going to be the couple?” Yangyang tried, hopefully.</p><p>“You’re not getting out of it that easily,” Ten said, rubbing his hand through Yangyang’s hair, messing it up. “You <em> did </em>get them killed.” </p><p>“But I don’t even know what people <em> do </em>in this kingdom when they get married,” Yangyang said, worrying his lip. “Do we need a dowry? A wreath of Myrtle’s Grace? There was that goat in the paddock across the road; should we steal it?” </p><p>“You’re so cute when you’re serious,” Ten laughed. “A simple donation to the Temple will be more than satisfactory. Gifts have little value in The Lady’s eye, as she can see the wealth in a couple’s heart, not their coin purse.” </p><p>Yangyang’s eyes bulged. You think we can do <em> that?! </em> Trick the Goddess of <em>Love</em> into thinking we’re, like, actually together?! Do you even know what love is?! You’re going to burn to a crisp the moment you step foot inside the Temple!” </p><p>Ten scoffed. “Oh please. There are many different types of love, Yangyang. You’ll learn about them when you’re older.”</p><p>“Surely there’s a better option than this,” Kun said, almost desperately. “If we get caught, it’ll be far worse than if we simply came clean now. And Ten, what about <em>you? </em>What if you’re…” Kun trailed off, looking worried. </p><p>“With this plan, we keep both our gold and our reputation,” Ten told him. “And what is a marriage other than something Her Priestesses declare? The Lady hasn’t Blessed a couple for almost a century now, no matter what Her Priestesses preach. The ceremony will have as much weight as Xiaojun in wet clothes regardless if we were a real couple or not. </p><p>“WayV simply needs to escort the <em>‘</em><em>couple’ </em> to the temple,” Ten said, “as promised to the family. We’ll go through the ceremony for The Lady’s Blessing, get married and then we're <em> done. </em>Our mission is complete.”</p><p>The others mulled over the plan and Ten craned his neck to peer out the window. “It’s starting to get dark,” he said. “Yangyang and I need to get our disguises ready before it's too late. Kun, Hendery, can we leave the real couple to you?” </p><p>“Why do I need to get ready? I’m already a man,” Yangyang whined, as Ten pulled him up onto his feet and ushered him towards the door.</p><p>“You look like a thieving mercenary who hasn’t washed in several days,” Ten said, wrinkling his nose. “You smell like it, too.”  </p><p>“The Lady is loving and benevolent. She won’t judge me.”</p><p>“No, but the Priestesses expecting a nobleman will.” </p><p> </p><p>The carriage was still in the same spot when Yangyang and Ten left the tavern, securely sealed with Kun’s magic, while the horses happily munched from a trough nearby. Torches had already been lit in preparation for the evening, the warm flames flickering in the breeze as the sun began setting over the mountainous horizon. </p><p>“Really, Yangyang,” Ten sighed quietly. “Getting our clients killed…”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to,” Yangyang mumbled, dejectedly. “You know I wouldn’t do it, like, intentionally.”</p><p>“I know you wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Is Kun really that mad with me?” Yangyang asked, hesitantly.</p><p>Ten glanced over at him. “He’ll come around,” he said. “We’ll fix this, don’t worry. Now, let's go to the general store before it closes. Hopefully, they have something that will pass off as noble clothing.”</p><p>The merchant was already blowing out the candles when they entered the store, however with an audible clink of several coins on the counter (which Yangyang later stole from the till) they were more than happy to let them stay past closing. With another few coins (Yangyang also stole) they didn’t question why Ten was holding up women’s clothing to his body, trying to gauge if they were his size, nor the makeup, blonde wig, and satin shoes he bought. </p><p>“Ten! Do you think this will suit me?” Yangyang grinned as he held up a ridiculous outfit with billowing sleeves and more embellishments than even Hendery’s clothes.  </p><p>Ten smiled at him. “You’d look good in anything, Yangyang,” he replied, making him blush. </p><p>After making their purchases they went to their separate rooms; specifically, the rooms Yangyang was sharing with Hendery, and Ten was sharing with Kun, though the latter still hadn’t returned from dealing with the dead bodies. So, Yangyang got washed with lukewarm water, shaved the whiskers off his chin in the cracked mirror hanging off the wall (because he was now a respectable nobleman’s son, not a light-fingered, rapscallion rogue) and sat on his bed trying to untangle his hair with a comb. </p><p>It was a slow, painful task and Yangyang was grateful when he heard a knock on the door to distract him from it. The door opened and Ten poked his head in. “Just thought I’d check in on you,” he said. His dark hair was wet from his own bath and his oversized nightshirt hung off one shoulder. </p><p>“I’m doing fine. I’m brushing my hair, look!” Yangyang held up his comb which had clumps of matted, brown hair pulled out of his scalp. </p><p>Ten looked mildly horrified. He sat on the bed behind Yangyang, taking the comb from him. Then, with far gentler hands than Yangyang had, he began brushing his hair. </p><p>“This is kind of exciting, isn’t it?” Yangyang bounced on the bed, making the comb knock against his head. “I haven’t done an undercover mission since the time Winwin and I snuck into the King’s castle and stole the court mage’s crystal. That was ages ago.”</p><p>Ten sighed, longingly. “It was a black crystal, too. I wish we could have kept it. My necromancy would have become so powerful…” </p><p>“I’m sorry, Ten. I promise if I ever come across a black crystal, I’ll get it for you.” Yangyang tried reaching back to pat his knee and whacked his thigh instead. </p><p>“Thank you,” Ten said, all the same, his smile shining in his voice. After several minutes of working a large knot on the back of Yangyang’s head, he said, “you still need someone to brush your hair. How are you going to convince everyone we’re getting married?”  </p><p>“It’s not normally this bad,” Yangyang protested. “It’s just, like, all tangled from travelling. I’m not a boy anymore, you know.” </p><p>Ten hummed, non-committedly.</p><p>“I’m not!” Yangyang insisted. “I’ll make the best husband, just you wait and see.”</p><p>“How many more days will it take us to get there?”</p><p>“Four days. Well, like, we should arrive on the forth.” </p><p>“And how long has it been since you got them killed?” Ten asked, making Yangyang squirm. “I’m only teasing you. Their death was unfortunate, but it <em> is </em> beneficial it happened when it did. We still have four days to practice our roles.” </p><p>“I don’t need to practice,” Yangyang said confidently. “After the royal heist, I’m, like, basically a professional actor.” </p><p>“And how many days did you and Winwin spend memorising songs so you could enter the castle as bards?”</p><p>Yangyang shifted uncomfortably. “A few,” he admitted. He shuffled around to face Ten properly. “But that was different though. We had to perform for the court before we could sneak off and steal the crystal. What we’re doing is easy compared to that…” </p><p>“Is it so different? Just like you and Winwin, we need to perform. Our unquestionable love is our song and the Priestesses are our audience.” </p><p>“That’s so cringy.” Yangyang scrunched up his nose. “Ow!” </p><p>“Then show me I have nothing to worry about,” Ten said, dropping the comb onto the bed beside them after rapping Yangyang’s skull with it. “Tell me Yangyang, do you love me? Would you do anything for me?”</p><p>“Maybe not <em> anything,” </em>Yangyang said, and Ten rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Very romantic, Yangyang. You’ve swept me off my feet.”</p><p>“Oh! Oh wait, I get it now!” Clearing his throat, Yangyang took Ten’s hands in his own. He tried to keep a straight face, but looking into Ten’s eyes made him grin uncontrollably. After a minor giggling fit, Yangyang gained some composure.</p><p>“Ten,” he said, failing again to control his grin, “there is no-one in this world that I love more than you. I want to, like, spend my eternity with you, in this life and the next. If you accept me, I would be honoured if you would be my wife. Husband. Umm…” </p><p>“That was so sweet,” Ten crooned, throwing his arms around Yangyang. “Yes, I’ll be your husband and wife.” </p><p>“See, this mission will be easy,” Yangyang grunted as Ten squeezed him tightly. “It’s your turn now. Pretend to be in love with me.”  </p><p>Ten pulled back. “Pretend? What makes you think I’m not already in love with you?” </p><p>Yangyang laughed. “Because I’m so perfect, right?” But his grin became strained when Ten didn’t join in. He just stared at him, his eyes wide and sincere, and Yangyang hesitated. “Wait, what do you mean?” </p><p>“You are perfect, though, aren’t you? How could I not love you?” Ten mused. “My cute Yangyang, always so bright and happy, without a care in the world, no matter what life throws at you. Because you know I’ll be there to take care of you.” </p><p>Ten leaned in closer, his dark brown eyes staring into Yangyang’s. “Wait, what?” </p><p>“Because you know that I’m always looking out for you. Making sure you’re eating right; that your leather is well-oiled so it won’t squeak, that you have enough lockpicks, that your blades are sharp.” Ten’s voice was rich and smooth, like warm butter. His gaze travelled up past Yangyang’s eyes and he raised his hand. </p><p>Yangyang blinked in surprise when Ten’s hand trailed through his hair as the comb had before. But this time it was different and feeling his fingernails scratch along his scalp sent shivers down Yangyang’s spine. “Even brushing your hair for you,” Ten murmured. “Haven’t you noticed how much I care for you?” </p><p>No? Okay, maybe yes. But not in <em> that </em>way. Yangyang started having a lot of thoughts. “Maybe?” He settled on a definitive middle-ground.  </p><p>The corners of Ten’s mouth quirked up. “‘Maybe…’” Ten repeated, running the word over his tongue. “I need to be more obvious then.”</p><p>Yangyang squeaked as Ten’s face came far too close to his own. He threw himself back in panic and had nothing to stop himself from falling. He landed back on the mattress, his head hitting the stained sheets with a soft thump. </p><p>“What are you doing, Yangyang?” Ten chuckled as he leaned over him, and Yangyang suddenly feeling trapped. Ten’s hands pressed into the mattress on either side of Yangyang’s head, as he smiled down fondly at him. </p><p>“I just fell- w-wait, no, no, no! <em> Ewww!” </em></p><p>Ten laughed and climbed off Yangyang, who rubbed the saliva off his nose from the wet kiss Ten had planted on it. “What do you think? Was I convincing?” He asked, eyes sparkling. </p><p>“Umm… yeah,” Yangyang laughed along nervously, as he sat up. He rubbed his nose more, desperately hoping his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “You’re so much better than me!”</p><p>“Because you’re so young! You still have a lot to learn.”</p><p>“You’re only a few years older than me. I’m an adult,” Yangyang told him seriously. </p><p>Ten looked like he was fighting off a smile and losing. “We should get some sleep,” he said. The bed creaked as he stood up and he looked down at Yangyang, his mouth still quirked up. “We can do more planning tomorrow.” </p><p>Yangyang whined half-heartedly when Ten gave him a goodnight kiss on the top of his head. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Cheese and Honey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Yangyang didn’t have the best sleep, but it came as no surprise to him. He could have blamed Hendery, who had as much grace as a blind orc when he returned to their room hours after Ten had left, stumbling around the dark smelling like fresh dirt. But really, as a practising acquirer of goods that technically didn’t belong to him, Yangyang preferred to operate at nighttime when it was much easier to move around unnoticed, and so he wasn’t used to sleeping through the entire night.  </p>
<p>When he did finally wake, morning light was shining into the bedroom and Hendery’s bed was already empty, though there were tracks of dirt all over the floor from the night before. Changing into his noble clothes, Yangyang did his best to slick back his hair and scrutinised his reflection in the mirror. He looked good! Like a dashing, rich gentleman! Also a bit like a fraud, but hopefully no-one besides WayV saw that. </p>
<p>Looking through his old clothes, Yangyang pulled out his belt of poison phials. He picked out the half-empty bottle of amber liquid and uncorked it with a grimace. He hated drinking poison on an empty stomach, but the <em>one time </em>he accidentally drank too much and had to get Kun to heal him, Kun had forbidden him from drinking any more. So he now did it in secret. </p>
<p>Now, don’t think that Yangyang was a masochist with a death wish! He was quite the opposite, actually. He just had (an irrational) fear of dying ironically. So every day he drank a small amount of poison to build up his tolerance, in preparation for the moment that someone tries to poison him, and he can laugh in the face.  </p>
<p>Packing his things up, he went downstairs and found Hendery and Kun already outside, preparing the horses and carriage. When Hendery saw him with his neatly brushed hair and nobleman jacket and breeches, he laughed so hard he startled the horses. </p>
<p>“Well, I was going to help you, but now I don’t feel like it,” Yangyang said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. </p>
<p>“Oh, we wouldn’t <em> dare </em>ask you to do any work, Lord Yangyang!” Hendery responded, making Yangyang’s cheeks burn. </p>
<p>“You’re just, like, jealous I look more like royalty than-” Yangyang never got to finish his snappish resort because the tavern door opened beside him and a beautiful woman stepped out. Yangyang caught only a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, before he looked away, shyly. Her blonde hair shone in the morning light like strands of gold, and she wore a long dress in dark emerald, cinched at the waist with a leather belt. Her features were elegant, almost feline-like, and she was far too beautiful to be staying in the same accommodation that <em> they </em>were…     </p>
<p>Yangyang’s head snapped back to her. “Ten?!” </p>
<p>“What, did I fool you?” Ten said, his voice high and feminine, and he smiled mischievously at him. </p>
<p>Ten was in a dress. Ten had long, blonde hair and was wearing a green dress. Of course, he was supposed to be, but reality hit Yangyang hard and the more he stared at him, the more confused he became. Did he… were those <em>breasts?</em> They couldn’t be <em> real</em><em>,</em> but there was definitely something underneath the dress giving him that shape. Or <em> were </em>they real? Ten liked to experiment with magic that Kun wouldn’t touch. That’s what led him to learn necromancy in the first place. </p>
<p>It wasn’t just Yangyang ogling Ten utterly speechless, Hendery had joined in too, staring at him half-disturbed, half-impressed resulting in his mouth hanging open and his nose scrunched up, and Yangyang was fairly sure his expression wasn’t all that different. When Kun noticed the sudden drop off in productivity, he told both of them to pick their jaws out of the dirt and get to work. He wanted to get to The Lady’s Temple as soon as possible, and finish their disaster of a mission. </p>
<p>“We could be siblings!” Hendery said pointing at his own blonde hair, and Ten gave a tinkling laugh.</p>
<p>“Who else would I draw inspiration from?” He said, his voice still girly.  </p>
<p>Unfortunately for Yangyang, his confusion didn’t end there. Playing their roles as the noble couple and the mercenaries escorting them, Yangyang and Ten sat in the carriage while Kun and Hendery sat up top in the coachman seat. Being left alone with Ten and with nothing to distract him, Yangyang was forced to confront these thoughts head-on and didn’t quite know just how to do that. </p>
<p>Of course, he <em> knew </em>she (he) was Ten; teasing, caring, maybe slightly evil Ten who’s morals were the most questionable out of everyone in WayV, but some reptilian part of his brain couldn’t connect that to the woman (man) sitting opposite him in the carriage. </p>
<p>Ten was looking out of the small window, watching the trees slowly pass as the horses clopped down the worn road towards The Lady’s Temple, and Yangyang couldn’t tear his eyes away. He <em> looked </em> the same (sans the boobs he now had). His <em> face </em> hadn’t changed, but with the blonde fringe covering his forehead and braids pinned up with sparkling clips, the lip stain and rouge and dark kohl, and whatever else Ten had done that was beyond Yangyang’s knowledge, he didn’t seem so… </p>
<p>Yangyang started when Ten’s eyes turned away from the window, catching him staring. Ten blinked in surprise, then tilted his head, slightly. “What’s the matter, Yangyang?” </p>
<p>Hearing his voice <em> (Ten’s </em> voice, not the fake one he put on earlier) grounded Yangyang. <em> Ten. </em> It was <em>Ten </em>sitting in the carriage with him. His friend. Someone he trusted with his life. And yet-</p>
<p>“You’re beautiful,” Yangyang’s reptilian brain blurted out. He hoped Hendery and Kun didn’t hear him from outside. </p>
<p>The surprise on Ten’s face came back at full force, his pink lips parting slightly as he blinked several times. Then his mouth curled up. “Oh really?” He looked far too pleased. “You mean when I look like this? So you didn’t think I was beautiful before?”</p>
<p>“A-ahh, no? You were very handsome before- I mean, you still are, like, handsome. But it’s different. It’s like, your handsomeness has become beauty. If that makes sense? Or maybe, it’s like, you <em> were </em>beautiful before, but it didn’t come across the same way as it does now?” </p>
<p>“Yangyang, you’re so cute!” Ten crooned. He tried to stand up, intending to squeeze Yangyang in a tight hug and smother him in kisses, but in the cramped carriage, he ended up half falling into Yangyang’s lap, who had to hold him tightly to stop him from falling flat on the carriage floor. </p>
<p>Adjusting himself in Yangyang’s lap, Ten cosied up to him. The long hair tickled Yangyang’s skin as he snuggled up close, pressing his face to the top of Yangyang’s head. Yangyang could smell perfume; a delicate, floral fragrance of sweet pea and moonflower he had never smelt on Ten before. </p>
<p>“My cute little Yangyang,” Ten continued, making him whine in embarrassment. “I’m so happy it’s you I’m marrying.” </p>
<p>“You can’t treat me like this when we get to the Temple,” Yangyang complained. “I’m supposed to be your fiancé.”</p>
<p>“And?” Ten hummed into his hair. </p>
<p>“So you can’t tease me like this in front of others.” </p>
<p>“Why not? Is my fiancé too grown up and too serious to get teased?” Ten pulled back with a smile ghosted his lips. </p>
<p>“I am,” Yangyang said seriously, making Ten coo and pinch his cheek. </p>
<p>“So cute,” he said, and Yangyang pouted in defeat. “So, what would my aloof fiancé like to do? Should we work out our story?”  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Any awkwardness Yangyang was feeling towards Ten dressed up as a woman soon disappeared as they planned out their story for the couple, should the Priestesses at the temple ask questions. Ten had made himself comfortable in Yangyang’s lap, toying with the embroidery on his jacket and hummed in acknowledgement as Yangyang worked through his thoughts out loud. </p>
<p>“So, the couple are from Blackridge Pass, you know right where the southern mountain range is, and there’s the road through the kingdom border where merchants always get attacked by frost trolls? We had a job there before and Winwin set off the avalanche and buried, like, five trolls at once!”</p>
<p>Ten laughed. “I remember. He completely missed the troll he was aiming for and triggered the avalanche.” </p>
<p>“What? He totally meant to cause an avalanche. We were outnumbered by <em> frost trolls </em> while trying to protect multiple caravans. It was <em> genius.” </em></p>
<p>“Baby, didn’t you see his face when the avalanche started? He had no clue that was going to happen.” Ten kept laughing at Yangyang’s betrayed expression.</p>
<p>“I <em> praised </em> him for it. I bragged about him for <em> months </em>after to whoever listened,” Yangyang exclaimed.   </p>
<p>“It was an incredible feat,” Ten agreed, “but he definitely didn’t plan on it.” Yangyang’s expression didn’t change from dismay, feeling the sting of betrayal from his older, rogue brother, so Ten kissed his temple. “Tell me about the couple? His father was the Lord of Blackridge?” </p>
<p>“... Yeah. I didn’t really talk to them much,” Yangyang confessed. “We were being really polite, but I think they were, like, apprehensive about being around mercenaries. Their names were, like, Faulk and Berta. Or maybe it was Boris and Hilda.”  </p>
<p>“Those aren’t even close to each other.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know! Hendery might remember.” </p>
<p>“So, we have maybe-Boris and maybe-Hilda,” Ten said. “He’s a nobleman, and I’m going to assume she’s from a wealthy family, too? It’ll be an arranged union to strengthen their families, and going to The Lady’s temple for her Blessing is to make a public statement of it. Couples from arranged marriages are often introduced to each other when they’re children, so they likely do feel some affection for each other.”  </p>
<p>“I guess? She was dressed all fancy, too- Oh! Oh, how about this!” Yangyang nearly jolted Ten off his lap with excitement. “What about a love that transcends classes?! Maybe-Boris and maybe-Hilda were childhood friends, but they kept it a secret because she’s, like, actually one of the family’s servants! Maybe-Boris used to, like, sneak down into the kitchens after dark for food because I get hungry at night, and you used to sleep on the floor beside the fire to keep warm, ‘cause it’s really cold there. You’re young so, like, the lowest on the servant hierarchy, but it was okay because you got to sleep with the dogs!” </p>
<p>“Okay…” </p>
<p>“But then when we got older, and I got incredibly attractive - you did too, but it was hard to tell because of, like, dirt and stuff-” Ten cocked his eyebrow at Yangyang, who hurried on with his story. “And so we began to fight and I, like, stopped going to the kitchens and we stopped talking. But one day-”</p>
<p>“Yangyang-”</p>
<p>“-One day, you were outside collecting red snowberries in the forest and a wild boar appeared and started chasing you! And I happened to be out there, like, practising my sword-fighting skills and saw you running, and I ran over and <em> stabbed </em>the boar and saved you! So, you feel in love with me and-”</p>
<p>“Yangyang, the best lies aren’t complicated. If there’s too many details, we’ll get confused and likely contradict ourselves,” Ten let him down, gently. </p>
<p>“You don’t like my story?” Yangyang asked, crestfallen. </p>
<p>“No, baby, I do,” Ten said quickly, brushing his fingers through Yangyang’s hair in a soothing manner. “But we can’t have anything too complicated or we might make mistakes and then the others get hurt, too.” </p>
<p>“I suppose…”</p>
<p>“I think being the son and daughter from two wealthy families is enough of a story, isn’t it? We’re going to The Lady’s Temple to gain her Blessing because, as Kun said, we have the gold to travel for a week with hired escorts. We don’t need to add any additional drama on top of that. We just <em> love </em>each other.” Ten emphasised his words by kissing Yangyang’s face, making him laugh.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Yangyang grinned at him, as Ten gently wiped over his face with his sleeve where he had placed the kisses. “Our love will overcome all conflicts! I mean, it couldn’t overcome poison, but…” </p>
<p>“You can’t protect me from poison?! I expected more from my fiancé.” He shook his head in mock disappointment. </p>
<p>“No, no, <em> I </em>can protect you from poison!” Yangyang insisted. “I’m building up a tolerance for the most common poisons right now! So, let me eat your food first and I’ll make sure nothing will kill you!”</p>
<p>Ten looked at him suspiciously. “Didn't Kun tell you to stop doing that?”</p>
<p>“... No?”</p>
<p>“Yangyang.” Only his mother spoke to him in such an overprotective, lecturing tone. “That’s incredibly dangerous. You could hurt yourself!”</p>
<p>“No, I won’t,” Yangyang whined. “I know what I’m doing. I only take a little bit, see?” Yangyang tried wiggling to pull the bottle out from his pocket, but Ten was sitting firmly on his lap. </p>
<p>“You <em> weren’t </em> fine, because Kun had to nurse you back to health after you nearly <em> killed </em>yourself-”</p>
<p>“It was <em> one </em>time!”</p>
<p>“And it will be the last! Promise me you’ll stop drinking poison.” </p>
<p>Yangyang began to complain, but Ten grabbed his head, forcing him to look at him. Crumpling like a wet scroll, Yangyang grumbled, “fine, I’ll stop. But I still want to test your food for poison.” </p>
<p>“You just want to eat my share of food!” Ten leaned back, clutching at his chest. “Yangyang, I’m disappointed in you! I taught you not to be so obvious.”</p>
<p>“No, I’m being serious! I just need to try, like, a mouthful and I’ll be able to tell if it’s poisoned! It would do more harm to you than me if I don’t.”   </p>
<p>“My baby Yangyang, turning on me so shamelessly,” Ten sighed dramatically. “Not even waiting until we get married before showing me his nefarious ways.”</p>
<p>“I’m not the nefarious one, you are!” Yangyang exclaimed, aghast. “You, like, once killed a man with the necromanced body of his daughter-”</p>
<p>“I gave her her revenge, there was nothing wrong with what I did.” </p>
<p>“There was blood <em> everywhere. </em> Literally dripping off the walls-” </p>
<p>“How do you know?! You weren’t even there!”</p>
<p>“Lucas told me.”</p>
<p>“You should know better than to believe everything Lucas says.”  </p>
<p>“What? Lucas lies about, like, <em> literally </em> nothing. He doesn’t even know <em> how </em>to lie. You’d think being a hundred years old he would have learned something by now…” Yangyang said. </p>
<p>Ten rested his head against Yangyang’s. “Sometimes I wonder how he came to be with us. I feel like he’s wasting himself as a mercenary…” He mused. </p>
<p>“He’s good at honey trapping.” Yangyang shrugged.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re going to stop here for the night,” Kun told them outside The Anxious Mallard. It was a slightly larger tavern than The Burnt Worm was, with a faded sign of a duck hanging above the doorway, the rusted hinges squeaking with the wind. “I know we still could have gotten a few more hours of travel out, but I’m not sure exactly how far the next town is and I’d prefer not to get stuck travelling at nighttime.”</p>
<p>“Old age is really taking it out of you,” Yangyang commented cheekily, as he climbed out of the carriage. He winced when his feet touched the ground, his knees wobbling as several hours worth of blood rushed back into his legs after having Ten sitting in his lap for most of the ride. </p>
<p>“Who are you calling old?!” Kun exclaimed, as Yangyang gingerly stretched his legs out.</p>
<p>“My back’s sore. That carriage ride went for too long,” Ten complained, stretching his arms over his head. The long sleeves of his dress fell down exposing his muscular arms as he arched his back, contrasting to the rounded shapes of his probably-not-real breasts strained against the green fabric across his chest. Ten lowered his arms and shook his long, blonde hair. “How many more days?” </p>
<p>“Three more,” Yangyang told him, and Ten groaned. </p>
<p>“I’ve changed my mind. Hendery can be the woman,” he said. “He can take the wig and dress, I don’t want it. I’m going to stay here and charge townsfolk for magic, and never travel by carriage again.” </p>
<p>“Good luck with that. Cityfolk barely tolerate magic as it is and they’re exposed to it far more than these towns are,” Kun said dryly. “You’ll be chased out with torches and a pitchfork before the next full moons.” </p>
<p>Ten rolled his eyes. “Oh goodie, it’ll be that vampire infestation all over again. They employed us to clear the cave the nesting coven was in, yet still didn’t trust us to handle it on our own.”</p>
<p>“They were fearful of the repercussions on the town, should we have failed,” Kun said. “They wanted to make sure the vampires were really defeated, as unwise as their decision was.”</p>
<p>Ten shrugged. “It meant more bodies for me to animate, so they got their dying wish.” </p>
<p>“Heh. Dying.” Yangyang knew how to add to a conversation. </p>
<p>“Are there vampires in this town?!” Hendery asked in a hushed voice. He had finished hitching the horses to the posts next to the tavern and caught the tail-end of their conversation. “I thought that old couple glaring at us when we came in looked funny. I bet they’re bewitched.” </p>
<p>“Of course they’re not,” Kun said. “We were just talking about Ten’s dream of becoming a country mage.”</p>
<p>“You’re going to have to marry Yangyang in my place,” Ten added. “I’m dedicating my life to growing giant pumpkins and selling fake love potions. What else can you do in the country?”</p>
<p>“Tend to your magical fruit orchards?” Kun suggested and Ten blanched. </p>
<p>“Terrible,” Hendery shook his head. “You can’t leave Yangyang like that, Ten. If I marry him, I’ll ruin women for him forever.”</p>
<p>Everyone stared at Hendery, expressions from confused (Kun) to disgust (Yangyang). Hendery flipped his invisible long hair over his shoulder. “He couldn’t handle me, anyway.”</p>
<p>“I don’t <em> want </em>to handle you,” Yangyang said bluntly, and Hendery pressed his hand to his chest, actually looking offended. </p>
<p>“Should we go inside and get something to eat?” Kun said, loudly. </p>
<p>“Mmph, not for me,” Ten said, stretching again. “I need to go for a walk after being stuck in that carriage. Though if I haven’t returned in an hour, come looking for me. I might have either gotten attacked by locals or bought a cottage. I’m not sure which is worse.” </p>
<p>The Anxious Mallard was cosy and didn’t reek of stale lager and rotting turnips like the previous tavern did, so the three of them considered it a success. The chairs near the fire were surprisingly comfortable, having been worn in by many behinds, and the tavern’s cook prepared them a meal of grilled salmon and greens, which they happily ate, sating their stomachs and mood. </p>
<p>By the time they had finished their meal, Ten was nowhere to be seen, and Yangyang began to wonder if Ten had indeed abandoned WayV and bought a house. “I’m going to go look for Ten,” he told Hendery and Kun, who already looked like they had begun settling in for the night despite it being mid-afternoon. Kun had dug out a massive codex filled with illegible mage symbols, and Hendery lounged beside him, nursing his full stomach, his eyelids drooping. </p>
<p>“Don’t get into too much trouble,” Kun said, not looking up. Perhaps the nobleman outfit was subconsciously making him consider Yangyang a far more trustworthy and upstanding individual than he normally did because he normally wouldn’t give him so much freedom. Yangyang waved them a quick goodbye and rushed out of the tavern before Kun could realise the error in his words. </p>
<p>The town (called Little Maplehill, despite having neither maple trees nor hills) was nice, in a country-town sort of way, Yangyang supposed. As he walked down the dirt road, crooked little houses sat on either side of him like mushrooms sprouting up out the earth, each with wooden fences surrounding them and overgrown veggie gardens. Old trees with low hanging branches nestled between every other home, the branches wide and thick, and stretching right up to the houses. </p>
<p>A part of Yangyang <em> begged </em>to climb up and poke around. He had long since graduated from petty thievery to more organised acquisitions, even before joining WayV, but some habits were hard to suppress. Nowadays he rarely stole anything unless he knew exactly how much something was worth, and how much someone was willing to pay him for it. Otherwise, what was the point? You’re stuck with something you can’t get rid of, and could end up in a gaol smelling like damp hay and excrement.</p>
<p>Plus he was currently a dapper gentleman who had his fiancé to find, and definitely not a questionable thief. </p>
<p>Following the main road, he began to hear a low hum of chatter and soon found himself in a busy marketplace. Looking around at the various stalls selling all kinds of food and knick-knacks, he spotted Ten at a stall stacked with aged, yellow cheese wheels. With his golden hair braided with crystals and the rich green dress, he stood out through the crowd. The cheese-seller was a young man and talking to Ten enthusiastically, gesturing to the different wheels, while Ten nodded along. The cheese-seller cut off a piece of cheese and gave it to Ten, who bit off a small corner, savouring the taste.</p>
<p>Silently, Yangyang stepped up behind Ten and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. “I’ve been looking all over for you, my dearest,” he said, and Ten froze in his arms. Yangyang thought for a second he was about to get his mind ripped out of his head by magic, but then Ten relaxed.  </p>
<p>“I’ve been here waiting for you,” he said in the soft, girly voice. He turned around in Yangyang’s arms to look at him properly, smiling warmly as one hand rested on his chest. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me.” </p>
<p>Yangyang grinned back at his fiancé. “How could I ever forget someone as beautiful as you?” His grin strained as he fought not to either start laughing or run off. This was already way too much. </p>
<p>From the way Ten’s eyebrow twitched, he thought so too. His smile widened but didn’t say anything immediately, letting Yangyang suffer. “You’re too sweet,” he finally said. “Here, try some cheese.”</p>
<p>Ten held the piece of cheese to Yangyang’s mouth. Opening it, Ten popped it in, his fingertips brushing against his lips. The cheese crumbled in his mouth and the sharp, nutty flavour overwhelmed Yangyang’s taste buds. “That’s good!” He exclaimed. </p>
<p>“I thought it was too strong…” Ten grimaced, delicately. </p>
<p>“Maybe you can eat it with bread,” Yangyang suggested.</p>
<p>“Oh, with bread and honey! Yangyang, you’re so clever!” Ten gently pushed on Yangyang’s chest, who let him step away. Clapping his hands together, Ten turned back to the cheese-seller who was watching their exchange, crestfallen. “Can we please have a wedge of that cheese?” </p>
<p>“O-of course!” The cheese-seller cut off a thick wedge for them and wrapped it up with wax paper. When he handed it to Ten, he stared at him forlornly, yet didn’t even make eye contact with Yangyang when he held out a few silver coins to him.  </p>
<p>“The food in the tavern was good,” Yangyang told Ten later, as he drizzled honey onto a chunk of bread and cheese. He had dragged Yangyang over to the other stalls, picking out his loaf and honeycomb, then stood back to let Yangyang pay, knowing it was a poor look if his fiancé objected. “And Kun paid for it with our rooms.” </p>
<p>“But isn’t this nice, though?” Ten said, his voice as sweet as the honey he sucked off his thumb, glancing coyly at Yangyang. </p>
<p>“I’m not hungry.”</p>
<p>Ten shrugged. “I’ll just have to eat it all, then.”</p>
<p>Yangyang glanced down at the large loaf of bread and cheese <em> he </em>was holding for his beloved. “Sweetheart, don’t get too carried away right before the ceremony,” he scolded, jokingly. </p>
<p>“You’ll think of something we could do to burn it off, won’t you?” Ten responded as he ran his finger over the honeycomb and licked it off, his eyes never leaving Yangyang’s. </p>
<p>Laughing awkwardly, Yangyang fidgeted with the loaf and cheese wedge, wondering if the sun was burning his ears. “Was there anything else you wanted to look at before we go back to the tavern? The mercenaries are probably, like, wondering where we are.”</p>
<p>“Are they, though?” Ten’s lips curled in a smile. “You could get me a drink. There’s bottles of wine at that stall over there,” he said, pointing. </p>
<p>“There’s plenty to drink in the tavern.” Yangyang smiled back, just as sweetly. “That Kun is <em> also </em> paying for.”</p>
<p>“But I want <em> that </em>wine,” Ten pouted, and Yangyang realised the bitterness in his mouth was the taste of his own medicine that Ten was finally turning back on him. In the years they had worked together, Yangyang had definitely taken advantage of his youth in wheedling the older members (all six of them) into doing what he wanted. </p>
<p>“But then I have to buy it,” Yangyang pouted back. It was far from the image he wanted to present right now, but The Lady and their mission be damned, he was <em> not </em>losing this to Ten. No matter how good he looked. </p>
<p>Amused, Ten leaned in close, their cheeks brushing together as he whispered in his ear. “I’m not asking you to buy it.” His deep voice sent shivers down Yangyang’s spine, while his words made his heart flutter. </p>
<p>Leaning back, Yangyang was unable to control his grin. “I love the way you think.” </p>
<p>Ten grinned back at him. “That’s why we’re getting married, isn’t it?” He said, switching back to the girly voice.  </p>
<p>“One of the reasons.” Yangyang winked at him and scurried off before he saw Ten’s reaction. </p>
<p>Sleight of hand was easiest with small objects that could be hidden with a quick rotation of the wrist and careful wiggle of fingers, and definitely a lot easier when said hands weren’t still holding bread and cheese, but Yangyang was skilled, confident, and in favour with The Blind Beggar. As the stall seller was showing off the wines they and their brother had fermented to the honest, handsome gentleman that Yangyang was, the vegetable stall next to them gave an alarming creak, before it collapsed. Dozens of potatoes, turnips and cabbages fell to the ground and rolled away, making a dash for freedom across the marketplace. </p>
<p>Grabbing a bottle was easy with everyone in the vicinity distracted, and Yangyang silently slipped through the crowd back to Ten. Trying to hide the bottle would make him look suspicious, so Yangyang had the neck gripped in one hand as he walked through the marketplace with his head high, careful not to roll his ankles on a loose potato. He spotted Ten near the entrance to the marketplace, standing beside an old barrel that had been turned into a flower bed, but Yangyang’s growing smile froze when he saw the expression on Ten’s face.</p>
<p>A man was talking to Ten, and judging from the displeased frown Ten’s mouth was set to, he wasn’t enjoying the attention. Ten’s mouth moved, his words short, and he crossed his arms over his chest, but the man talking to him only stepped closer. Yangyang made two quick steps towards them when the man reached out to Ten and touched his arm. Then Yangyang nearly dropped everything when the man let out a piercing scream.</p>
<p>The man collapsed to the ground, hands gripping his head as he withered, while Ten looked down at him coolly, his arms still crossed. The man’s screaming drew even more attention than the collapsed vegetable stall had. People all around them turned and gasped in horror as the man continued to wither and twitch on the ground, like The Reaper itself had taken possession of his body. </p>
<p>“What happened?!” Yangyang hissed as he rushed over to Ten, conscious of everyone staring at them with wide eyes.</p>
<p>“Hmm?” Ten looked up at Yangyang, his eyes blazing. “I didn’t appreciate his interest. And telling him that wasn’t enough, apparently.” </p>
<p>Yangyang looked down at the man, screams still bursting from his throat after each pained gasp of air. “I think he’s learned that now.”</p>
<p>Ten didn’t seem to agree as he watched the man suffer with far less sympathy. Yangyang thought he wasn’t going to release the hex he had cast, until finally, the man went still. Gasping and shaking, the man remained huddled on the ground, curled up on his side as his mind and body adjusted back from the nightmare Ten inflicted on him. </p>
<p>“Come on,” Yangyang whispered to Ten. “Let’s get going.”</p>
<p>“W-witch,” the man rasped, his face deathly pale as he stared up at them like he was looking at true horror. “She’s a witch.” A low, terrified murmur rippled through the marketplace, and hushed whispers of <em>‘witch' </em>were passed around. </p>
<p><em> Not </em> good. Trying to improve the situation, Yangyang said, “well, she’s actually a mage,” however that just seemed to scare the villagers even more. The whispers became even more frantic as people began backing away from them, their hands clutched over their mouths like Yangyang had uttered a foul curse. </p>
<p>“Oh, please. Did you expect me just to smile and put up with that?” Ten rolled his eyes, unimpressed. “He’s lucky I didn’t rip out his tongue.” But the crowd seemed to have made a decision about the beautiful, dangerous woman in the green dress, and it wasn’t in their favour. </p>
<p>“Let’s go,” Yangyang whispered again, more urgently, as he dropped the wine, cheese and bread and grabbing Ten’s hand. A severe-looking man with a bloodied apron and butcher’s knife was approaching them, his beady eyes fixated on Ten as he sneered, and further back they could hear several armoured guards trying to make their way through the crowd. An angry butcher? Sure. Official guards though? <em>Never</em> a good idea. Bounties were a hassle and unreasonably expensive, and they certainly couldn’t serve gaol-time right now.   </p>
<p>“Oh look, they’re getting the pitchforks,” Ten said, not bothering to hide his real voice anymore as they hurried out of the marketplace, their hands still tightly clasped together. “It <em> is </em>like the vampire infestation after all.”</p>
<p>“I can’t believe we’ve been in this town for, like, two hours and you’ve already hexed someone,” Yangyang said. “You’re so embarrassing.”</p>
<p><em> “I’m </em>embarrassing?! Was that The Jester in the marketplace with me, or have you forgotten all the romantic lines you were spouting, cringey-boy?”</p>
<p>“I was playing the role,” Yangyang whined, his cheeks burning. “Unlike you. Why didn’t you, like, punch him or something? Or kick him in the groin.”</p>
<p>“That would have meant <em> touching </em> him,” Ten said, disgusted. “Magic involves no physical contact and far more pain.”</p>
<p>“It was self-defence,” Yangyang tried to convince himself, slightly out of breath as they ran down the street back to the tavern. “Kun can’t be too angry about it, right?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I hope you're happy with yourselves.” Kun shook out the sleeping roll. A very aggressive campfire was crackling beside him that he had lit with a snap of his fingers, the embers flying up high into the dark sky. The clearing wasn’t the best to set up camp for the night; the ground wasn’t even and there were large rocks jutting out of the soil, waiting to stab them in their backs as they laid down, but it was the best they could find in the darkness. </p>
<p>“My hair is going to get messy,” Ten complained, as he sat on his own bedroll with his legs crossed. He held the wig in one hand, combing his fingers through it with the other to untangle the curls. Seeing his dark, short hair was somehow both weird and familiar. Maybe it was because he was still wearing the dress, but really, it wasn’t <em> that </em> different from the robes he normally wore. It was most likely because he still had his breasts on. </p>
<p>“Well, I wonder who’s fault <em> that </em>is?” Kun hissed at him. “We had a roof over our heads and beds to sleep in, but you just had to start casting magic on the townsfolk!”</p>
<p>“The man was being rude to him,” Yangyang defended Ten, who nodded in agreement. “Ten told him to stop, but he didn’t.” </p>
<p>“I don’t care <em> how </em> rude he was, you are both supposed to be acting like normal people, <em> not </em>a pair of mercenaries! You can’t just pick fights with whoever you want! What if this follows us to the Temple and the plan is foiled before it can properly begin?!”</p>
<p>Ten let out an annoyed huff. “I can be from a noble family and know magic. They’re not mutually exclusive.” </p>
<p>Kun smiled at Ten and the expression made Yangyang want to give up a life of sin and pledge never to touch something that didn’t belong to him ever again. “That is correct, but a nobleman marrying a woman who practices entropic magic and necromancy <em> might </em>raise some suspicions, no?” </p>
<p>“Maybe I like my women dangerous,” Yangyang said, making Hendery whoop and holler. </p>
<p>“You can like whoever or whatever you want, Yangyang, but for now <em> please </em> try to keep up this act.” Kun exhaled a deep breath. “This was <em> your </em> plan and if the pair of you can’t manage this, I <em> will </em> turn the carriage around and you can explain to their families how their son and daughter ended up dead!”</p>
<p>“He won’t,” Ten whispered to Yangyang, later. “It takes far more than that to push Kun to his breaking point.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I know,” Yangyang whispered back, grinning.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dancing and Dryads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A large, brown bear slowly waded through the shallow stream, it’s head bent in search of fish swimming downstream. With each step, it’s large claws tapped on the wet stones, scraping through the thin coating of green algae. Unknown to the bear, which had become fixated on a flittering, reddish shape in the bubbling water ahead, it stepped firmly on the shell of a giant river crab hidden amongst the rocks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rearing its back, the crab raised its claws and delivered a vicious pinch to the bear’s paw. The bear roared in pain and shock, spooking the horses that had stopped on the road nearby. The horses began to fidget and paw at the ground, wanting to flee from the quarrelling bear and giant crab, however, their masters were currently not in the carriage they were pulling, so they couldn’t leave. They were standing on the side of the road, two of them getting a very firm lecture from the leader. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... There will be </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>fighting with the locals,” Kun said to Yangyang and Ten, his unblinking gaze moving from one to the other. With his flowing, light gold robes, handsome features and soft blue hair, he looked relatively harmless, however anyone with the smallest inclination towards magic would notice the tumultuous mana rolling off his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And likewise, to the unknowing eye, it seemed neither of those he was scolding deserved it. Yangyang was dressed as a noble gentleman in his fine jacket and trousers, with his boots polished to a dazzling shine. Beside him, Ten looked like a beautiful lady to match; her long blonde hair twisted into braids upon her head with loose curls cascading down her back, holding her emerald dress above her ankles to prevent the skirt from getting sodden. But Yangyang wasn’t a gentleman and Ten certainly wasn’t a lady.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>care </span>
  </em>
  <span>what reason you come up with,” Kun continued, “a dragon could fly down and begin torching the village for all I care - you </span>
  <em>
    <span>will not </span>
  </em>
  <span>poison, hex, stab, animate, steal, entrap, burgle, jinx, rob, manipulate-”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ten rolled his eyes. “Really, Kun.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You realise when a dragon attacks, that's, like, the best time to loot people,” Yangyang said. “Even if you’re seen, no-one cares. It’s, like, the first entry in the thieving codex. Or maybe the second. It’s definitely in the top five.”   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care if </span>
  <em>
    <span>twenty </span>
  </em>
  <span>dragons attack the village, the pair of you -” Kun pointed at Yangyang and Ten, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“will </span>
  </em>
  <span>behave like normal civilians who require an escort to The Lady’s Temple to get married. And that means </span>
  <em>
    <span>no stealing and no magic.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’m just supposed to die if a dragon appears, then.” Ten sighed dramatically. “I can’t even defend myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what Hendery and I are here for! </span>
  <em>
    <span>We </span>
  </em>
  <span>will protect you like Hendery and Yangyang </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>have done for our real clients who are now buried in a paddock!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But now Hendery has a track record for getting clients killed. I’m not sure if I trust him to protect me.” Ten held up the dress sleeve to his face and closed his eyes, like the thought of his possible death by Hendery’s negligence was too much for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a bear fighting a crab.” Hendery pointed to the stream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you and Hendery can fight one dragon alone let alone twenty,” Yangyang added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who said we were fighting a dragon?” Kun replied, affronted. “We’ll leave the village before it sees us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>“Kun!”</em> </span>
  <span>The others moaned loudly, embarrassed by his blatant declaration of self-preservation.    </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think of all the valuables it’ll be carrying!” Yangyang exclaimed. “Dragons always have gold and enchanted objects on them!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we get to be the heroes!” Hendery postured, sticking his chest out, his armour glittering. “Slaying a dragon that threatened their quaint, little homes - We’ll be declared honorary protectors of the town and get free real estate! Which we can then sell back to them!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been spending way too much time with Lucas if you think fighting a dragon is a good idea,” Kun sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it's a common dragon, your frost magic would be highly effective against it,” Ten said, and that made Kun pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>if it’s a common dragon we can fight it,” he conceded, and Hendery and Yangyang cheered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But this isn’t a pass for you two to behave inappropriately.” Kun rounded back on Ten and Yangyang. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t attack any townsfolk this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, like, what if that man was actually an assassin hired to kill Ten?” Yangyang shrugged, defending his not-quite-fiancé with greatly exaggerated truths. “What if he was trying to get close to Ten to kill him, but Ten foiled his mission by casting magic.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun looked like he was ready to either cry from frustration or throw Yangyang in the river and let the bear and giant crab deal with him, when Ten spoke up. “Don’t worry, Kun,” he said smiling reassuringly. “It won’t happen again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Torn between relief and suspicion, Kun settled on the latter. “Give me your weapons,” he said to them, and Yangyang’s mouth flew open, outraged. “You won’t need them for your disguise. You too, Ten. I know you have something concealed in your dress.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten handed over a jewelled dagger without argument, while Yangyang huffed and grumbled, and shot Kun glares far sharper than any metal. He pulled out his own daggers of various lengths he had hidden in his trousers and jacket, and handed them over to Kun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any poison phials on you?” He asked and Yangyang shook his head rapidly. “If I search your body, would I find any?” Again, Yangyang shook his head, his eyes wide to convey his innocence, to which Kun’s own eyes narrowed. “Turn out your pockets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The WayV mercenaries had worked together for years, and so it wasn’t a surprise to Kun that Yangyang had been lying. He didn’t say anything as Yangyang handed over several bottles of poison, for it wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last time the youngest member of their group tried to get away with misbehaving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what about bandits?” Yangyang grumbled unhappily, to which Kun ignored. But when he was out of earshot, Yangyang whispered to Ten, “I still have, like, six bottles of poison down my trousers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He missed the knife in your boot, too,” Ten whispered back, and Yangyang shushed him, clasping a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from laughing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next town they stopped in on their way to The Lady’s Temple was called New Greenshore; a fishing town settled along a wide bend of the Clearflow River. Colourful flags flapped in the wind, proudly showing off their loyalty to the King and Empire, and fishing boats gently bobbed in the water. An old wooden dock stretched over the river, piled with old crates and tangled fishing nets. Further down, a water wheel spun slowly, the static hum of water splashing back into the river carrying down the bank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would have been quite peaceful if it wasn’t for the screams of terror coming from the centre of town. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tales of dragons dated back as far as record shows; before the first mages realised that their possessions getting constantly burned was actually connected to their anger and orcs figuring out that clothes were, in fact, a very good idea. The sheer size and power of dragons inspired the imaginations of bards and storytellers for generations, despite them being </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>rare. In fact, many went their entire lives without seeing one and yet a dragon descending upon their home was a fear most had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what was even perhaps rarer than a dragon turning its fiery belly upon a peaceful fishing village was an enraged dryad attacking one instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought they don’t leave their glades,” Kun said, as they watched the nature spirit wreck havoc on the town, screeching in its native tongue at the fleeing villagers. It was a humanoid-like creature with skin like dry bark and it’s green spirit glowed within, bursting the cracks in furious pulses. “Something must have </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>angered it if it’s ventured into civilisation.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone must have gone for its tree,” Hendery said, ducking as an uprooted tree-stump flew towards them. “Amateur move. Everyone knows dryads are shy until they think you’re a threat to their home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a second one!” Yangyang pointed. “Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gods</span>
  </em>
  <span><em>,</em> did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>see </span>
  </em>
  <span>that?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how well known that is,” Ten added, as the second dryad screeched again and began chasing after a screaming villager, trails of green magic twinkling behind it. “I think more people don’t try to harvest clippings because their glades are so hard to find.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, like, if they die out in the forest, what are people really going to think that killed them?” Yangyang said. “Probably wolves or bears.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Swarms of bees,” Hendery added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An actual witch.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean </span>
  <span><em>‘actual’?”</em> </span>
  <span>Ten asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Smugglers, too. Or a werewolf.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A dryad’s coming this way,” Kun butted in dryly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got it!” Hendery said excitedly, withdrawing his sword from the scabbard with one hand and unclipping the round shield off his back with the other. He moved to stand between the dryad and the others like a paladin protector, ready to defend them and their virtues from the enraged spirit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the dryad’s claws hitting metal made everyone flinch, but Hendery parried expertly with it, defending each screeching attack. But Hendery’s skill angered the dryad and with each failed attack it became more and more aggressive. Blocking a staggering hit, Hendery stumbled back, his shield raised protectively over his head, as the dryad withdrew, it’s twig-like claws moving.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look out!” Kun shouted, hurrying forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang and Ten winced as the dryad’s magic hit Hendery’s shield, but Kun was already weaving healing magic over him to withstand the attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stun it for me!” Hendery shouted, and Kun stopped healing and switched to casting a lightning bolt in an instant. The dryad froze, it’s greenish, tree-like body twitching as lightning sparked across it, halting its movements. Charging forward, Hendery raised his sword and thrust it through a gap in the bark across the dryad’s chest and into its glowing heart.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dryad screeched and collapsed, it’s body disintegrating into green mist before it even hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whooo!” Hendery hollered, raising his sword in victory as Yangyang and Ten cheered and applauded him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-are you warriors?!” A pained voice said behind them. An old man peered over an upturned cart, his white hair sticking up in every direction, his fancy clothes torn and covered in dirt. He shakily rose from his hiding spot and hobbled over to Hendery, staring at him with awe. “Oh, please, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>help us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old man explained that he was the town’s mayor and the reason the dryads were attacking. His wife had fallen ill and nothing the local alchemist brewed helped. Her condition deteriorated, and fearing she would leave their world, he asked the town guards to venture into the forest beside New Greenshore to the dryad glade (something everyone in town knew existed, though unspokingly agreed never to approach) and return with a cutting of their tree to make an elixir from. Only a few hours passed since they set out when a lone, bloodied and terrified guard returned, with the enraged dryads hot on his heels. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a tragic story,” Hendery said, shaking his head with sadness. “But we have a duty to this loving couple. We are escorting them to The Lady’s Temple so they can receive her blessing, and can not abandon them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh please, Sir Knight!” The old man begged. “I would do anything. The dryads are destroying my town and it’s my fault!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm… he’s not a knig-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Killing the dryads in town wouldn’t solve your problem!” Hendery spoke loudly over Yangyang. “We would need to venture into their glade and destroy all those protecting their sacred tree, too. Or else they’ll keep coming, now in vengeance for their fallen kin.” He sighed theatrically. “It is a big thing you are asking of us, Mister Mayor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it is,” the mayor said, tearing welling in his eyes. “But I couldn’t live with myself if more villagers got hurt because of what I did. Whatever you want, Sir Knight, any amount of gold, I will give to you if you help us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the mayor bowed his head to wipe his eyes, Hendery sent a victorious grin to the others. Kun nodded, impressed while Ten and Yangyang shook their heads in disbelief. “You drive a hard bargain, Mister Mayor,” Hendery said, still grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After discussing the details with the mayor and getting a quick de-briefing from the surviving guard wrapped up in gauge and healing herbs, Kun and Hendery were deep in the forest, battling a swarm of dryads. Hendery’s swordsmanship and Kun’s ranged magic was a lethal combination, made even more deadly with their familiarity with each other and their fighting styles. Though they were outnumbered (and ideally would have taken on so many dryads with more people) the WayV Mercenaries were one of the best in the kingdom, especially when they had an incentive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get up, Kun! You can die after we defeat the dryads! We don’t need to split the gold with you, then!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was no better incentive than gold.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back in New Greenshore, the villagers had begun patching the town back together. The old mayor tearfully returned to his wife’s bedside, apologising for doing such a foolish thing despite knowing she would never have approved of him risking the safety of the town for her sake. The alchemist began brewing the elixir, their hair frizzing from the fumes, praying to </span>
  <span><em>‘whichever Gods those scrawny mercenaries serve’</em> </span>
  <span>that they’ll return with the clipping to complete it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alone on the wooden dock, left behind by their teammates who had eyes bigger than their pockets, Yangyang and Ten sat barefoot, their trousers and skirts rolled up to their knees as their toes skimmed the cool water. A family of ducks were paddling nearby in the shadow reeds, quacking as they foraged for snails and insects. They had come by the dock earlier, eager for crumbs of bread to be thrown in for them, but neither Ten nor Yangyang had anything to feed them with, and so the ducks had left in disappointment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t fair,” Yangyang whined. “I want to fight the dryads, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With your little dagger?” Ten nudged Yangyang’s foot with his own.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, my poisons wouldn’t work on them, either,” Yangyang complained. “Spirit types like them are immune. They’re, like, ghosts with tree armour. The poison just doesn’t seep in.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My magic also doesn’t work well on them,” Ten said. “Kun and Hendery really are the best ones to fight them, even if we didn’t have a facade to keep.”     </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want to be involved,” Yangyang whined, and Ten smiled fondly at him. Feeling sorry for himself, Yangyang shuffled over, letting Ten pull him close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is being with me so bad?” He asked, poking Yangyang in the ribs, making him laugh. “Wouldn’t you rather spend time with me, your </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful, </span>
  </em>
  <span>beloved fiancé, than fighting angry, nature spirits?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t I fight angry, nature spirits with my beauti-ahh! Ahaha!” Yangyang couldn’t finish as Ten kept prodding and tickling his stomach. He laughed, trying to squirm away from the invasive hands. “S-stop! T-Ten!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wiggling like fish out of water, Yangyang laughed as Ten kept tickling him. He doubled over, desperately trying to pry Ten’s hands away from his ribcage, but Ten was stronger than he looked (a true statement, even when he wasn’t posing as a woman) and wasn’t going to stop teasing Yangyang so easily. Twisting, Yangyang’s weight shifted away from Ten, leaning over the dock and -</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten laughed loudly as Yangyang fell shoulder first into the cool river. “Yangyang, you’re supposed to take your clothes off before going for a swim!” He called down to him as Yangyang’s wet head surfaced from the water, coughing. His laughter grew as he kicked his feet, splashing Yangyang even more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Yangyang wasn’t mad. Not at all. He knew Ten was just messing around, and so after inhaling another wave of water Ten kicked in his face, he cupped his hands, throwing the water back up to Ten. Most of it missed, but Ten still shrieked, holding his arms up to protect his face. Grinning so wide his cheeks hurt, Yangyang paddled over to the dock, until he had Ten’s feet within arm’s reach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peering over his sleeve, Ten’s eyes widened when he saw Yangyang in the water below him. “N-no, don’t!” He yelled as one of Yangyang’s wet hands wrapped around his ankle and kicked out desperately. “Stop it, Yangyang! Don’t pull me-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a hefty heave, Yangyang pulled him off the dock, and Ten fell into the water with a loud splash. He laughed as Ten flailed around in the water, his green dress looking like a mass of tangled seaweed under the water. Feeling Yangyang beside him, Ten threw his weight on him, nearly drowning the poor boy as he struggled to keep his head above the surface. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten was just as drenched as Yangyang. The blonde wig had slipped forward, covering his eyes and the beautiful updo he had braided looked like the tangled mess of fishing rope on the bottom of a ship. He pushed the wig back off his face, revealing dark black streaks of makeup running down his face with each droplet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you not to pull me in!” He snapped at Yangyang before pushing him away and Yangyang’s laughter died instantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Ten-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Ten was pulling himself up out of the water and onto the dock. His dress had turned a dark green and was hanging heavy on his body, water cascading off him like a broken dam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten!” Yangyang shouted after him, but Ten ignored him as he bent over to pick up his shoes, and stormed off the dock without looking back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Kun and Hendery returned to town after successfully clearing out the dryads from their grove, it was to a huge applause by the townsfolk. Amples of food and gifts were pressed into their arms - even a newborn baby was forced upon Hendery, but after a moment of panic (both his and Kun’s) he realised they were wanting the ‘heroic and noble knight’ to bless the child and name them. But in the cheering crowd, their own teammates were nowhere to be found. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a short look through town, Kun found Yangyang sitting on the dock in the same place he and Ten had sat hours before. He was hunched over, still wearing wet clothes and shivering. “We’ve been invited to dinner with the mayor and his family, tonight,” Kun said as he approached. “Another thank you for dealing with the dryads.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang nodded, the movement harsh and jerky as he shivered uncontrollably. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun sat down beside him and Yangyang leaned into him. Kun wrapped his arms around him and Yangyang closed his eyes, sighing as he felt his warmth. He didn’t know if Kun was warming him with magic or if he was so cold that even a hug felt like sinking into a hot spring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to get sick if you stay out here in wet clothes,” Kun said, his voice gentle, and Yangyang turned his head into his shoulder. He smelt like dried blood and sweat. His light robes were dirty with streaks of grass stains and damp soil. “What happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I fell in,” Yangyang answered, his voice cracking over the words. A rush of goosebumps erupted over his skin and Kun held him tighter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Ten? Where’s he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... H-he also got wet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun didn’t say anything right away and Yangyang was grateful. He wasn’t sure if he was in the mood to deal with harmless teasing. Instead, Kun rubbed Yangyang’s arms to warm him up. “Why don’t you go find Hendery,” he suggested, gently. “I’m sure he’s got something you can wear tonight. We can dry your clothes so they’ll be good to wear tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to go,” Yangyang grumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go find Hendery,” Kun repeated, this time firmer. “I’ll deal with Ten, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until they were heading to the mayor’s house that evening that Yangyang saw Ten again. He was the last to leave the inn, stepping out into the street with his back straight and head high, looking every bit as cold and distant as the nobility he was pretending to be. He had changed his clothes; his new dress was almost a pure white with quilted embroidery around the neckline and sleeves, and with blue ribbons around the… bodice? Chest area? Yangyang didn’t know the right word to describe it. He was still wearing the blonde wig, with a light bonnet on his head, tucked into the braids. Yangyang knew it was to hide the fact the wig was still damp, and it made his heart sink into his stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Kun instructed, Yangyang had changed into some of Hendery’s clothes (which somehow were almost too flamboyant) while his own dried on the back of a chair in Hendery and Kun’s room. He was supposed to be sharing his room with Ten, but Yangyang didn’t dare step foot in it. Instead, he stayed with Hendery all afternoon, listening to his exciting re-telling of the battle in the dryad glade. Half of Yangyang was envious, wishing he had been there, too. The other half was thinking about Ten, hating how upset he was with him and wondering how he was going to apologise to Ten next time he saw him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they walked through the town to the large house overlooking the town square, Yangyang kept glancing at Ten, trying to catch his eye, but Ten kept his eyes fixed firmly ahead. He responded to Kun and Hendery like nothing was different, but openly ignored the fourth member in their group. And Yangyang concluded he would probably be sleeping on the floor in Hendery and Kun’s room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mayor’s house was by far the nicest building Yangyang had been in since he and Hendery had picked up the (living) clients, and the interior had his instincts twitching. On the surface, it seemed like a modest if large house. Crooked brick walls, raw timber, worn yet clean rugs covering the floor in the entranceway and corridors. Yet there were signs that Yangyang could see that pointed towards there being a locked vault in the cellar. The gold figurines on the stands, the ornately carved troll skulls mounted on the wall, </span>
  <em>
    <span>the servant who greeted them at the door.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>If they had a servant they definitely had jewels hoarded somewhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, when the mayor said dinner would be a </span>
  <span><em>‘quiet affair with just my family’</em> </span>
  <span>that also included inviting half the town. Two long tables stretched down the dining hall with a large area for dancing in the middle. The tables were piled high with plates of fruits and vegetables, hot pies and meat, with dozens of people sitting around it. They cheered when they (Hendery and Kun) entered the room and the mayor hurried over to them, his arms wide as he guided them to the front of the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s breath caught when Ten silently wrapped an arm around his as they walked behind Hendery and Kun. His head snapped around but Ten was facing away, looking at the boar’s head resting in the centre of one of the tables. The mayor took them to their seats; Kun and Hendery were in the centre, as much of a centrepiece as the boar was, while Yangyang and Ten’s were further down the table beside a tired, if kindly, looking old woman. She smiled warmly at them as they sat down and Ten’s arm slipped away.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The food was upsettingly delicious. Rich and decadent, with flavours bursting on their tongues, washed down with vintage port. Kun had long given up trying to maintain an image of reservedness, which thankfully, the mayor took as a compliment, patting his back as he scoffed down the food, his cheeks full. Going back to eating tavern food would be difficult and all of them had already started silently plotting how they could swindle more meals like it on a more regular basis.  </span>
</p><p><span>Kun’s had involved Winwin and utilising the rogue network, listening to the whispers and rumours, and finding wealthy folks who had a problem WayV could solve before anyone else could get there. Ten’s plan was similar, but it involved creating</span> <span>the problem first, then being ‘coincidently’ nearby to fix it.  </span></p><p>
  <span>As the heroes of the evening, the mayor and his guests fawned over Kun and Hendery. Kun blushed under the attention, but through his embarrassment, he was secretly preening. Hendery was less subtle, and with each admiring stare and coy smile sent his way, his ego soared. He soon began to loudly tell the table about their </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerous, </span>
  </em>
  <span>valiant battle against the </span>
  <em>
    <span>dozens </span>
  </em>
  <span>of dryads to his enraptured audience, far more exaggerated than the version he had told Yangyang earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t realise there were so many!” The mayor exclaimed, shaken. “I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>have asked you if I had known it would be so perilous!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Further down the table, Yangyang and Ten sat quietly. When they began eating, Yangyang had given Ten his knife to eat with, which he had taken without comment, and left Yangyang to pick apart his food with his fingers. But it didn’t bother him. Not really. He kept glancing at Ten, but Ten had turned away, invested in Hendery’s story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Hendery began going into detail how he fought three dryads at once, the elderly lady sitting beside them turned to face them. “My husband said you’re going to see The Lady,” she said. With a shaky hand wave, she gestured to the mayor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten smiled warmly at her. “We are,” he said in the feminine voice. He shifted, opening his shoulders to Yangyang and placed his hand on Yangyang’s resting on the table. Yangyang did everything in his power to remain still. “Our families hired WayV to escort us there. It can be a dangerous journey across the kingdom and we have such a long way to go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t find a safer escort,” the wife said, earnestly. “If you hadn’t stopped by our town when you did - if Sir Hendery and Enchanter Kun weren’t with you - I have no doubt I wouldn’t be here this evening.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s smile softened. “We are both very lucky,” he said. “I’m so glad the cutting from the dryad tree worked.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you two meet each other? Is it an arranged union…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten turned his head towards Yangyang, but he didn’t look at him. Instead, his eyes were downcast, focused somewhere near Yangyang’s goblet. His hand twitched, but he didn’t pull away. “It was,” he said, softly. “Most of them are when you come from families such as ours. Though when we first met, it wasn’t quite so formal.” Ten laughed softly, like he was reminiscing a fond memory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We first met when he climbed in through my window,” Ten laughed, and Yangyang jolted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, are you sure-” He began to say, but Ten kept talking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was visiting a friend for their birthday. It was a grand affair - people had travelled from all over the kingdom to celebrate. I had arrived the day before the celebration, and so, had my own room in the inn in town. And it was in the middle of the night that I awoke with a start. I didn’t know why until I heard someone’s footsteps in my room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mayor’s wife gasped, her eyes wide as she looked from Ten to Yangyang, who wanted to crawl under the table. Ten smiled mischievously and continued with his story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I imagined the worst,” he said. “I thought a thief had broken into my room and I </span>
  <span><em>screamed!</em> </span>
  <span>I think I woke up everyone in the inn! I’m embarrassed to admit there were some very unladylike words said and objects thrown. But I learned that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>a thief in my room, it was Yangyang!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten was smiling fondly, but his eyes were still fixated on the table. “He was also a guest but had arrived late and didn’t want to disturb anyone. So he tried to sneak into his friend’s rooms but got mixed up and ended up in mine!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s heart ached. That was how they really met. Before WayV was formed. Okay, Ten had made some necessary alterations to their story. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a birthday party, but neither of them had been invited to it. Instead, one of the actual guests was staying at the inn and Yangyang was there to steal the ownership documents of a prize horse they had, but as Ten said, he got the rooms mixed up. He ended up sneaking into the room Ten and Kun were occupying that night, and it wasn’t Ten’s screaming that had woken up half the inn, it was Yangyang’s after Ten had paralysed him and assaulted his mind with horrific hallucinations. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By The Jester, you had a rocky start then!” The mayor’s wife exclaimed, and Ten laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s putting it mildly,” he agreed. He looked up at her, his eyes sparkling. “I was far from impressed with him, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>did we bicker in the beginning. I think we innately knew just how to irritate each other with the barest effort. And that became </span>
  <em>
    <span>far </span>
  </em>
  <span>worse when our families informed us of the arrangement. Neither of us wanted to marry the other, and I think they were actually considering calling the whole thing off, our relationship was so poor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that changed, surely?” The mayor’s wife pressed. “You seem so close now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten squeezed Yangyang’s hand. “It did change,” he said, softly. “I’m not sure how. I don’t think there was a particular instance that brought us closer together. It just… happened. We had to spend time together in our parent’s desperate efforts to improve our relationship and it worked. Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking of him as being a brash, bratty child. I came to see him, for who he really was.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mayor’s wife smiled, her eyes glistening. “That’s lovely,” she said. “You’ve overcome your initial differences and came to truly love each other. The Lady will see this when you go for her Blessing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s smile twitched and for a moment, his eyes glossed over. “I think she will, too,” he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After mere pickings of food remained on the tables, several guests began dancing, and to the WayV members horror, Kun joined in. Hendery booed loudly (making sure to represent Ten and Yangyang, who could only sit by quietly, acting like watching him dance wasn’t causing them physical and emotional pain) as Kun laughed and spun, his robes flaring out like the dresses around him did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I hesitate and stop, my regrets drowning me in a million raindrops. I want to go back, my yearning sublime. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If only we could make a new start, and turn back time.”  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to dance,” Ten announced, standing up before he had finished his sentence. Yangyang began to rise out of his seat, intending to follow, but Ten was already gone, sweeping onto the dance floor. He watched Kun’s face light up as Ten joined him, grabbing his hands to pull him into the circle and they began to twirl and spin with the others, dancing to the music.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was lodged painfully in Yangyang’s chest. His head bobbed to the music naturally, but the thing in his chest was dark and tainting. He watched Ten dance with the others, a joyful smile on his face, moving from partner to partner as they danced in circles. He watched as he paired up with Kun and they smirked at each other, wordlessly sharing an inside joke as their hands touched, spinning around and around as the music went on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you dancing, dear?” The mayor’s wife asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not much of a dancer,” Yangyang lied, scratching the back of his head modestly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mayor’s wife chuckled. “Your fiancé is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang watched Ten move effortlessly, dancing with more elegance and grace than anyone up there. “... Yeah. She is.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should go up and dance with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I’m not sure…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She would want you to dance with her. Even if you’re not very good, she still wants you there, sharing the experience with her.” The mayor’s wife learned over, patting Yangyang’s hand gently. “She loves you deeply, dear. But you still have a lifetime together ahead of you. Treat her well.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bullied by the old woman, Yangyang unwillingly stood up and shuffled over to the dance floor. Waiting for a gap, he jumped in when everyone switched partners and began dancing with a pretty girl with red cheeks and freckles scattered across her nose. Over her head, he saw Ten dancing on the other side of the circle, his white dress spinning around him with each step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The music went on and on. Every time they stepped into the circle, Yangyang’s eyes were fixed on Ten. Each time they came back to the centre, his cheeks became pinker as a light blushed formed, and his eyes sparkled with delight, yet he never looked in Yangyang’s direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Partner after partner, Yangyang took their hands, and danced and spun, and then dipped back into the centre and out again. Around and around they danced, skirts brushing against his legs as they spun, hands clasped together as they rose and fell. And then Yangyang turned with the beat, their partners switched, and Ten was in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time all evening, Ten was looking at him, and Yangyang felt like someone was sitting on his chest, stopping him from breathing. He wasn’t even sure if they were dancing anymore; the world had closed off from him and only Ten remained, with his sharp, brown eyes cutting through him. This close, Yangyang could see how long Ten’s eyelashes were. Surely it was something he had noticed before but never given the thought much attention. Here, on the dance floor, trapped in the endlessness of his dark eyes, he wondered if Ten had done something special for the disguise, or if his eyes were always capable of luring him in like a booby-trapped treasure, or a tantalising poison.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the whole night of wanting, Yangyang finally had it, but it was too much for him. Ten wasn’t smiling. His face didn’t soften, his mouth didn’t quirk up, teasingly. He just continued to stare at Yangyang, tearing him apart, piece by piece. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sound rushed back, flooding Yangyang’s ears with music and chatter and he wasn’t sure if Ten had heard him. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, louder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten blinked and his gaze became less reserved. He raised his hand, as was part of the dance, and Yangyang copied, pressing their palms together. Ten still didn’t smile but his expression seemed gentler than before. They danced together and time sped up around them, barrelling forwards as Yangyang desperately wanted it to stop. Then Ten stepped away and they were back in the circle. Their dance was almost over, their hands still touching, and Yangyang's world was spinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Step in. Step out. His hand tightened around Ten’s not wanting to let go but Ten pulled free. And then they were turning away and Yangyang had a new partner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If there were any townsfolk who hadn’t gone to the mayor’s house for dinner they certainly wouldn’t be pleased by the noise WayV were making as they went back to the inn. Kun and Hendery were laughing loudly, with full stomachs and even fuller egos, enjoying themselves after such a pleasant evening. Yangyang was glad to see Kun finally relaxing, even if some of it was at his own expense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lady, would you care to dance?” Hendery bowed down before Kun like a prince who had fallen in love at first sight with a beautiful maiden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Giggling, Kun replied in a girly voice, “oh, I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the pair of them spun around together in the middle of the street, laughing so loud that Kun’s high voice broke, which only made him laugh even harder. He clutched onto Hendery’s shoulders as the pair laughed until had tears in their eyes. The dance abruptly ended when Hendery tried picking Kun up, Kun screeching, and the pair of them toppling over onto the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang and Ten stood back laughing at them, neither offering to help them up as they fumbled around on the ground, tangled up in Kun’s robes.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, this evening has been wonderful, but alas, I must bid you gentlemen farewell,” Ten said when they finally made it back to the inn. Hendery and Kun were still holding onto each other, arms thrown over each other's shoulders. Their eyes were still watery from their occasional outburst of giggles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Yangyang,” Kun said, reaching out for him as Ten headed to his (and Yangyang’s) room. Quietly, he asked, “do you want to switch rooms?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay!” Yangyang said, cheerfully. “We need to keep up our disguises, remember? You can’t be seen, like, sneaking out of my fiancé’s room in the morning. Though… if you, like, hear me screaming in pain in a couple of minutes, maybe check on me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun nodded slowly. “Alright. Well, I hope you get a good night’s sleep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, me too, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yangyang thought as he walked towards his room, his feet heavy as lead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten didn’t look as he carefully pushed the door open. He was standing by the small table beneath the window, the blonde wig already taken off and in his hands as he brushed the loose locks with his comb. Yangyang stood near the door hesitating before he cleared his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… is it, like, okay for me to be in here, or did you want to be alone?” He asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited for Ten to reply. Or do something. Instead, Ten continued brushing the wig, not giving any indication he heard Yangyang. He didn’t cast magic on him, at least. Still, Yangyang’s shoulders slumped and he shuffled over to the bed. His back was turned as he sat down, the springs underneath squeaking slightly. He kicked his boots off and changed into his sleepwear with the sound of Ten moving and fabric shuffling drowning in his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You act like a kicked puppy when you’re upset.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s head whipped around so quickly the entire bed squeaked. Ten was staring at him with his arms folded over his chest. Gone was the disguise - the dress and the makeup - as he too had changed into the baggy, oversized nightshirt and pants he always slept in (that may have belonged to Lucas at one point). Yangyang’s heart soared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better than being a wet puppy!” He said, excitedly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten screwed up his nose, confused. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Cause I got wet,” Yangyang explained, lamely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten didn’t say anything further and the awkward silence that had plagued Yangyang all evening began to creep back. Panicked, he crawled up onto the bed, sitting on his knees to face him properly. “I’m sorry,” he said for the third time that night. He wouldn’t let Ten ignore him, anymore. He was miserable from only a few hours and didn’t know how long he could go with Ten being upset with him. “I didn’t mean to make you upset, I wouldn’t have, like, pulled you in if I had known. I was just playing around, I didn’t mean to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten blinked. “I’m not upset.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile grew on Ten’s face. “Of course, I knew you didn’t mean it. What, did you think I was still angry with you over that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang gaped at Ten, completely gobsmacked. What. </span>
  <span><em>What?</em> </span>
  <span>Ten began to chuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were so</span>
  <em>
    <span> cute,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he said, his grin wide and gloating. “Pining after me like a lovesick boy. How could I resist?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ten!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yangyang shouted. “Oh my - I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>you!” Yangyang looked around for something to throw, his hands twitching. “I hate you so much.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t~” Ten sang. “Not with the way you were staring at me all evening. My </span>
  <em>
    <span>goodness </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yangyang, you certainly didn’t let anyone doubt our relationship, did you? It was a good thing I had makeup on, you were even making </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> blush.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whining, Yangyang collapsed forwards on the bed, burying his face into the blanket with his arms thrown over his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I need to get angry with you right before we reach the temple,” Ten continued gleefully. “You’ll follow me around like a lost puppy, it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>adorable.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a puppy,” Yangyang grumbled, glaring up at Ten beneath his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A sheep then? You’ll chase after me around like a hungry sheep wanting to be fed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then, I won’t need you. I’ll have a whole field of grass to eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh, but why eat common grass when I’m available?” Ten smirked.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... This analogy’s gone weird. Like, what are you even trying to imply? That I should <em>eat</em> you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten clasped a hand over his chest, scandalised. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yangyang, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I can’t believe you’d say something so vulgar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! How is that- that doesn’t even make sense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My baby Yangyang, talking to me like that. Before he’s even taken me out on a single date.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you stared- I’m not-” Yangyang didn’t even know why he felt so flustered by the nonsense Ten was saying. “I hate you. Also, we’ve, like, gone on at least two dates now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Ten looked confused. “When?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang rolled his eyes and huffed. He pushed himself up onto his knees, aware of how pink his cheeks must have gone. “First was in the marketplace when I bought you food and the second was today on the dock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang, those weren’t dates!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They could have been! I bought you courting gifts and everything! It’s not my fault you, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hexed </span>
  </em>
  <span>somebody and we got chased out of town! And on the dock was completely romantic. Or it could have been if your outfit didn’t get ruined...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s eyebrows rose and he quickly shook his head. “You’re still so young and inexperienced. I should take you on a real date, so when you do meet someone you have a proper idea of how to court them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need you to teach me! I can be romantic,” Yangyang argued. “Just you see, I’ll take you on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>date and I’ll woo you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, will you?” Ten smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll woo the…” Yangyang gestured up and down Ten’s body. “The lacing off of you,” he settled on, and Ten laughed so loudly Kun and Hendery probably heard him through the adjoining wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, everything was back to normal. Ten crawled into bed and held the blanket out for Yangyang to join him. After Yangyang slid under the covers, he curled up into him, their faces close as they rested on the pillows, their legs tangled up. “You’re going to woo me, hmm?” Ten murmured, his hands trailing over Yangyang’s slim waist and around his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to be so wooed,” Yangyang confirmed, his confident voice low in the quiet room. He copied Ten, wrapping his arms around Ten’s back, holding him close. The fabric of his shirt felt soft against his fingers, fluffy and pliant after many wears and washes, as it moved against Ten’s body.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To what end? I’m already in bed with you.” A faint smile was playing on Ten’s mouth, his unblinking eyes fixed on Yangyang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Getting you in bed is hardly the end,” Yangyang didn’t falter. “It’s like our journey to the temple. It’s one of many places we’ll stop at on our journey to love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s eyes crinkled and his smile fully formed. He learned forward off his pillow and placed a gentle, slow kiss on Yangyang’s forehead. When he pulled back, he murmured, “you’re so cringy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just as cringy! </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’m already in bed with you’!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yangyang poorly mimicked Ten’s voice by dropping several octaves. “That’s the most cringiest thing you could have said. Did you think that would actually, like, work in seducing someone?”</span>
</p><p><span>Ten’s shoulders shifted in a slight shrug. “You’d be surprised. Some people need you to be obvious. Others barely need more than a coy glance and will jump at the slightest interest shown to them. Not like you, though.” Ten’s fond smile morphed. “You get your breeches all twisted when I’m not</span> <span>constantly showering you in affection. You’re just a demanding, cringy baby who needs attention.”  </span></p><p>
  <span>Yangyang whined and half-heartedly tried to squirm away as Ten pressed several more kisses across his face. The kisses managed to land on his hot cheeks before Yangyang decided to fight back, his hands going for the softness of Ten’s sides. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Squealing, Ten twisted around, trying to pull away from him, but they had too many limbs locked together under the blankets. He was slippery (and flexible) and ended up lodging his knee between Yangyang’s legs, his hips twisting in, the round bone digging into Yangyang’s stomach. He kept trying to kiss Yangyang’s face, but it became harder to do through his laughter, and ended up messily pressing his open mouth on his cheeks and jaw as Yangyang continued to ruthlessly assault his sides. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughter and squeals filled the room until tears filled their eyes, and an unspoken truce passed. Ten was panting slightly, sharp exhales of laughter still escaping his mouth, while Yangyang had a broad grin on his face, pleased with himself. The tickling had stopped, but their bodies remained pressed tightly together, burning like a furnace underneath the blankets, with faint sheens of sweat building on their skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m hot,” Yangyang complained. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll cool down soon,” Ten replied. His tongue poked out, catching the minuscule beads of sweat pooling along his upper lip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang watched the movement. It felt like a fire was lit under his skin, and holding Ten against his body was only making it worse, but he couldn’t move. Not when Ten dropped his head down into Yangyang’s neck, resting his forehead on him like a pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re sweaty.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just said I was hot. I can’t help it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not complaining,” Ten murmured. “You smell good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That dip in the river did wonders,” Yangyang told him, and Ten chuckled against his skin, the puffs of breath both cooling his skin and heating him up further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several minutes passed as their breathing slowed down. Yangyang could feel sweat dripping down his forehead, over his brows and eyelids. He tried blinking the droplets away, as he couldn’t move his hands. He felt like there was no way he could fall asleep now, not with the heat pumping through his body with each heartbeat, warming his fingers and making his palms sweat as they clutched onto the back of Ten’s shirt. Ten had already begun to relax in his arms, his muscles becoming pliant and heavy with each breath that tickled his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to fall asleep,” Ten murmured, his words slurred. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Yangyang whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten murmured something unintelligible and moved his head. Placing a kiss on Yangyang’s collarbone, he whispered goodnight and Yangyang wondered how that was even possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Scholar's Library</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>It was late at night (or early morning, if one was more inclined) and Yangyang was still wide awake. He was lying on his back, eyes closed but mind buzzing, as the world slept around him. Beside him, Ten was stretched out on his stomach, lost in his dreams like Yangyang should be. The bed dipped between them under their weight and Yangyang could feel the heat radiating from him even though their bodies weren’t touching. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling over, Yangyang tugged on the blankets with him, tucking them under his chin. He bent his elbow under his pillow, but it wasn’t long before his arm started going numb. Shifting it out, Yangyang tried putting his hands between his thighs, but the position was awkward. The blanket touching his neck felt ticklish, but when he tugged it down his neck felt exposed, and Yangyang began thinking about vampires. He pulled the blankets up higher over his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, Ten sluggishly moved, wrapping his arms around Yangyang tightly. “Stop moving,” he grumbled, his voice hoarse from sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t sleep,” Yangyang whispered back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten groaned softly and shifted closer so his face pressed into the back of Yangyang’s neck, his body wrapped around him like weights. For a couple of minutes they laid there, still and silent save for their breathing, until Yangyang started to fidget. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang,” Ten moaned. “Go for a walk if you can’t sleep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to stay here,” Yangyang mumbled. But he couldn’t relax and his mind was refusing to drift off. He didn’t want to lose the feeling of Ten’s arms around him, but it was already becoming uncomfortable. Wiggling, he managed to turn around from one side to the other, so he was facing Ten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang,” Ten moaned again. “Go to sleep, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But even like this, Yangyang still couldn’t sleep. His arms wrapped around Ten and began tracing mindless patterns on his back, and Ten sighed into his neck contently. He began to draw shapes; a bunch of grapes, a gourd, then a leek. But his mind began to fixate again. The weight of Ten’s legs tangled up in his became too much and he wanted to move them. He wanted to roll back onto his other side again and have Ten wrap his arms around his torso as they had before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really didn’t mean to fidget so much, but sleep never came easily to him at night. Some believed it was the blessing and curse that The Beggar cast on thieves, but Yangyang didn’t know if that was true or simply the lawless favouring darkness, and he had adjusted to that lifestyle accordingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s eyes opened when Ten began to squirm in his arms. “Now I can’t sleep,” said Ten, squinting at Yangyang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a baby. Can’t even go to sleep on your own,” Ten sighed, throwing the blankets off both of them. “Come on, baby. Let’s go for a walk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t bother changing from their sleepwear, simply pulling their coats and boots on. Leaving the inn and into the dark street, it felt like they stepped into a world that The Clockmaker had forgotten about. The only sound and movement came from the torches burning; the sporadic flicking lights dotted around the town to provide pockets of light in the darkness, and if it wasn’t for them Yangyang might have questioned if something magical was at play. Though Ten would notice that long before he would, he supposed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” He asked Ten as they walked down the street. The silhouettes of the buildings all looked the same against the night sky, the coloured roofs and signs becoming vague outlines in dark greys and blacks. The torches crackled, and somewhere in the darkness, an owl hooted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shrugging, Ten replied. “Nowhere, really. We’re just walking to burn off some of that pent up energy inside of you. Once we get sleepy, we’ll head back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang could see better than most (humans) in the darkness, or he’d like to think so. His eyesight was better than Ten’s at least, who kept stumbling on fairly obvious rocks on the road. After the third assault on his big toe by a stationary object, Yangyang hooked Ten’s arm underneath his own and pulled him close so he could guide him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such a baby, needing me to help you walk,” he mocked, turning Ten’s own words back on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten laughed quietly. “Thank The Lady I have you looking after me,” he said, resting his head on Yangyang’s shoulder. After a few seconds, he straightened up, still tucked up by Yangyang’s side. “She’s watching us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Lady. Her eyes are open.” Ten pointed up at the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Following Ten’s finger, Yangyang squinted up at the galaxy of stars and the two moons, almost full with white halo rings around them. He wasn’t sure what was supposed to be looking at. Was there a constellation that represented The Lady? Xiaojun had told him about some before; he got frustrated when Yangyang couldn’t see a man holding a sword out of the millions of shining dots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was told the moons are her eyes,” Ten explained softly, his head dropped back down onto Yangyang’s shoulder. “She sees what people normally try to hide. Not just forbidden love and secret affairs, but even affection that’s not normally shown during the day is free at night, when the rest of the world isn’t watching. That’s why the ceremonies in her Temple are performed at nighttime. It’s believed that’s when she is strongest and when we can be closest to her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think she sees me when I’m stealing?” Yangyang asked hesitantly, looking at the moons. “The Beggar doesn’t watch, but that’s, like, the point. He’s The Blind Beggar who hides us in the shadows, teaching us how to tread light and soundlessly, hidden from unseeing eyes.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless you’re sneaking out to meet a girlfriend we don’t know about, I doubt she’s interested in what you’re doing,” Ten chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang bit his lip. “I was thinking earlier,” he began, “when we get to the Temple and have to, like, go through the ceremony… it </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>be okay, won’t it? The Lady won’t be there? We won’t be, like, making a sacred oath before a God and </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> marry each other?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that why you couldn’t sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, not really. But it was something I was thinking about. Before you said that, like, I need to learn how to properly court someone, but it made me think that what if I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang...” Ten sounded concerned. He pulled away from Yangyang and faced him properly, his eyes wide. “I didn’t mean it like that. Look, the Gods rarely interfere with the mortal realm. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> this. So long as we’re worshipping them, they have their power. The Lady is one of the most revered Gods in this kingdom alone; every night people perform ceremonies in her name. They pray to her for love and guidance. She has no reason to manifest before us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, like, what if she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>there?” Yangyang persisted. “What if in five years from now I meet someone nice and want to marry them, but I’m, like, literally struck down by lightning by The Lady because she’s like, </span>
  <span><em>‘you’ve dishonoured me, cheating swine!’</em> </span>
  <span>Since I’m actually married to you!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang was surprised when Ten wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. It wasn’t the physical touch that caught him so off guard; Ten was always so free with his touches, hugs and kisses, and receiving them made Yangyang happy too (despite the half-hearted protests he was obliged to make). But the meaning behind them always was simple affection, nothing more than liking each other and the desire to express it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This hug was meant for comfort. And that wasn’t something they did often. Hesitantly, Yangyang returned the hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>trick you like that,” Ten said, muffled. His face was tucked into Yangyang’s shoulder. “By an actual </span>
  <em>
    <span>miracle </span>
  </em>
  <span>she is there, there won’t be a binding oath, that’s not how her truth of love works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’m not upset if I really have to marry you,” Yangyang said hurriedly. “I just want a heads up so a God won’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> heads up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten leaned back, his eyes shining in the dull light, the corners of his mouth turned down. He scrunched up his nose. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like, you know…” Yangyang made a gesture across his neck to symbolise his head falling off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten sighed, dropping his head back down into YangYang’s neck. “That won’t happen, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Long minutes passed in silence and Ten didn’t let go of Yangyang, his face pressed into the crook of his neck, his breathing shaky. Yangyang rubbed his hands up and down Ten’s back, trying to comfort him, but he wasn’t sure what to say. When Ten finally pulled back, tears were smeared on his cheeks and it hurt Yanyang deep inside.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t do anything you don’t want,” Ten’s voice wavered. “I’m sure Hendery would be fine with switching places with you. If not… if not then, we’ll come up with something else-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! No, no, no!” Yangyang’s voice was loud in the dark street. “That’s not what I want! I just want to be, like, aware of what we’re going into, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t be pressured into doing something you don’t want to do-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang wanted to smack his head against a wall. It wasn’t something he (had </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever)</span>
  </em>
  <span> said out loud, but he kind of thought Ten was actually perfect. He was really smart (in both the natural-talent way <em>and </em>the hardworking way) and handsome and funny, and who could even learn complex magic in only a few years?! Yangyang couldn’t believe it when Kun revealed that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>had taught Ten magic after they had met. Kun had spent his entire childhood in The Magician’s Circle learning magic, while Ten had gone from lighting kindling with his mind to animating skeletons in less time than it took a babe to walk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten might be really smart, but sometimes…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so stupid,” Yanyang told him. “I’m, like, the reason we’re even doing this! </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>killed the couple! </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>should be the one feeling pressured by all of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To fix a problem</span>
  <em>
    <span> I</span>
  </em>
  <span> made! And if this is, like, what I need to do, then okay. I can think of far worse things than marrying you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise it won’t be a binding contract,” Ten said so earnestly, it was like he was begging Yangyang to believe him. “I know how The Lady’s Temple operate, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>how The Lady regards love and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then there’s nothing to worry about!” Yangyang bent his knees, forcing Ten’s head off his shoulder. He crouched down, looking up at his tear-stained cheeks, and grinned at him. “You’re, like, going to turn into Kun if you keep worrying this much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten gave a wet laugh and covered his face. When Yangyang stood up again </span>
  <span>he pulled Ten’s hands away with minimal resistance. Rubbing his thumb over his cheeks, he wiped away the tears, the pad of his thumb brushed Ten’s quivering lip. Then Ten stepped forward and wrapped his arms over Yangyang’s shoulders. “Now you’re bullying me,” he said resting his forehead against Yangyang’s. “I’m trying my best for you, and you just go and compare me to Kun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate it,” Yangyang murmured, stroking Ten’s back. “I really do. Don’t be upset.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten chuckled, weakly. “It’s a poor look if your fiancé is seen crying before the ceremony.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not if they’re tears of happiness because you’re marrying me,” Yangyang said, and Ten’s laugh became genuine. “The Priestesses won’t doubt us for a second.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you know exactly what’s going to happen at the Temple,” Ten teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang paused. “I’ve got the general gist of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile on Ten’s face became more of a smirk than anything else as he pulled back to look at Yangyang properly. Coyly, he played with the hair on the nape of Yangyang’s neck. “Is that so? Tell me then, what’s going to happen during the ceremony?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His nose and cheeks were still red from crying, but Ten was quickly gaining control over himself again. His lips, which had been pursed and quivering before as he fought off crying, were curled up in a confident smile. Even in the darkness, they looked soft, in high contrast to Yangyang’s chapped ones. Did the lip stain he’d been putting on for the disguise soften them? “We, like, stand before an altar, and say our vows and hold hands. And stuff.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s correct, we will say vows and hold hands, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>stuff.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ten smirked, his hand reaching up, sliding through Yangyang’s hair and scratching his scalp, and making him shudder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll, like, declare our love for each other, and promise to always protect and care for each other,” Yangyang elaborated, eyes drifting shut as he leaned into the scratches. “And, like, promise that no matter what challenges we face, we’ll overcome the adversaries together.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Lady will be pleased to hear it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I feel like you’re making fun of me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?” Ten’s eyes widened innocently. “I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they drew closer and closer to The Lady’s Temple, the towns they passed through started becoming notably bigger. People and carriages became more common and the highway went from a pot-holed dirt track to a gravelled path then eventually cobblestone. Passing through a town called Bronzeham, Ten’s excitement had picked up and he looked out the window of the carriage with interest, watching all the stores passing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kun! Kun, there’s a magic shop! We should stop!” He called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to keep moving,” Kun called back down to him. “We’re behind on schedule after the dryads.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What schedule? Yangyang and I are the schedule now. Oh, and there’s a jewellery store! I want to get a new pair of earrings!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmf.” Yangyang groaned as Ten moved around, bumping Yangyang’s head as it rested in his lap. Yangyang never ended up getting much sleep after the walk, but Ten did though, which pleased Yangyang. Ten collapsed on the bed when they got back to their room and Yangyang had to pull the blankets over him. He called him a baby again, but Ten was already fast asleep and didn’t even twitch when Yangyang climbed back into bed beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Yangyang. Go to sleep,” Ten said, petting his hair. But that was far easier said than done, as right after a somewhat passive-aggressive argument between Ten and Kun broke out. Ten kept twisting around in annoyance as he yelled up to Kun, and it wasn’t long until Yangyang gave up entirely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting up, he groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Ten and Kun were still bickering, so he intervened by saying he was hungry and wanted to stretch his legs. Neither was exactly a lie, but his primary objective was to make sure he didn’t get stuck in the carriage for many more hours with a grumpy Ten after not getting what he wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are too many hours in a day to be stuck in a carriage,” Ten complained once they were out of the carriage, arching his sore back. “One more night. Then I’m finally done with that thing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you want to do?” Yangyang asked muffling a yawn, before he shook his head to force himself awake. “Did you want to look at some of the shops?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you hungry? We should go find a bakery for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I just said that so Kun would stop the carriage. I can grab something when we leave and eat it when we’re moving, again,” Yangyang and Ten laughed. “If you don’t have any plans, I have an idea!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Intrigued, Ten let Yangyang take his hand and began leading him through town. The streets were bustling, full of people ducking in and out of shops, going to and from places. Bakeries with the scent of warm bread clashed with the smell of hot iron from blacksmiths and sawdust from carpenters. Bolts of fabric tumbled out of the tailor shops, sandwiched between cobblers and potters. Somewhere hidden through the crowd, a town crier was shouting vibrantly, announcing the local lord’s wife had given birth to a son, and how a blessed knight saved a neighbouring town from crazed dryads. And to watch out, because there had been sightings of a wicked temptress in backwater towns, seducing young men and then torturing them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No hexing people this time,” Yangyang whispered to Ten, warningly.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who, me?” Ten said, making Yangyang laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, but only if they deserve it,” he conceded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think of me as some evil mage, casting curses on people for fun?” Ten jokingly accused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean… you said it, not me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang wasn’t overly familiar with Bronzeham (as seen by the many retraced steps and staring down busy streets blankly trying to piece the town’s layout together) but he knew it featured the largest library in the kingdom and the place he wanted to take Ten to. “Here!” He said excitedly when they turned a corner and the building loomed ahead of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dark stone rose into the sky in sharp spires, capable of piercing the sky. The entrance was two sturdy doors, five or six Lucas’s high and heaved open, already giving a glimpse of the towering rows of books inside. In front of the library was an open courtyard, with different coloured stones arranged into overlapping diamond patterns. In the centre of the courtyard stood a large, square fountain, water spouting out and falling down from a statue of a man in robes prying open the jaws of a small dragon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bronzeham was impressive compared to the humble towns they had stopped in prior, but the library was the grandest feature in the town and not even by a small margin. There was a good reason for that; it was the domain of The Scholar and the academics who served him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohh…” The sigh Ten let out was barely audible, but his hand squeezed Yangyang’s tighter. “The Scholar’s Library. I’ve never been…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is, like, The Scholar represented by a man fighting a dragon?” Yangyang said, as crossed the courtyard, nearing the fountain. A quick glance inside showed the floor of the fountain was lined with coins, from many praying to The Scholar for wisdom and intelligence. Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one lacking intelligence, but Yangyang always thought gold was better in his pocket than on the bottom of a pool of water. “Shouldn’t he be hunched over a pile of books with glasses?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, firstly it’s a sphinx, not a dragon,” Ten said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the difference?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Can you not see it’s head? It looks like a cat with a human face. And with wings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I thought the statue was just weird,” Yangyang said. “You know, like, when artists paint something without really knowing what it looks like? When Winwin and I snuck into the royal palace, there were paintings of babies with old-man faces. Like, a woman would have a baby on her lap, but it could be her child </span>
  <em>
    <span>or </span>
  </em>
  <span>her grandfather.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“References are important,” Ten agreed. He pointed with his free hand. “The Scholar isn’t using force to open its mouth, he’s coaxing it open. I think it’s supposed to symbolise his mastery of knowledge, as he’s besting such an intelligent creature.” Ten shook his head. “Kun would be better at explaining this than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did good!” Yangyang exclaimed, and Ten looked at him suspiciously. Ducking his head, Yangyang continued to drag him into the Library. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The building looked large from the outside, but stepping through the mammoth doors and seeing the infinite number of bookshelves stretching deep into the interior and high above their heads, made their initial perception seem wildly inaccurate. Dark stone columns created a grid-like pattern amongst the rows of books and scrolls. Seemingly simple, but forgotten steps could easily have someone lost in the endless maze of repetition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small amount of outside light was coming from the shuttered windows, but most of it was from the metal sconces fixed onto the columns. The white candle wax dripped onto the stone floor. The scent from the candles was fragrant and sweet, barely noticeable under the musky smell of thousands upon thousands of aged books. Long ladders leaned against the shelves, dotted between each column, reaching alarming heights and stopping at the metal balustrades of higher levels.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful in here,” Ten said, his eyes moving over everything, drinking everything in. “The architecture is so rigid, isn’t it? So fixed and structured. I wonder if there’s hidden chaos... A crooked sconce or a window that’s a different size. I could spend hours here, looking for a secret.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they walked deep into the Library, the natural light began to fade and the candlelight became brighter. The books became older and rarer, until finally they reached a row of decorated tomes, bound up behind heavy chains and locks. “Ohh…” Ten’s eyes fixated on the books locked away. “Those are spellbooks. I can feel the magic coming from the runes inscribed. I want one…”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang grimaced. Things that were locked up like that generally weren’t accessible for just anyone who asked. And while that rarely stopped him, stealing from a God’s sanctum was probably something that belonged in the basket of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shouldn’t Do</span>
  </em>
  <span><em>.</em> The benefits would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> outweigh the risks, as Gods were on the all-seeing end of the awareness spectrum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t steal a forbidden book for you…” He admitted, regretfully. “I’d end up in The Reaper’s Abyss in, like, five seconds flat if I tried to steal one of those.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten sighed, longingly. “That’s okay. I understand you’re not skilled enough to steal something like that, yet. Maybe in a few years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s eye twitched. “I’m not falling for that,” he said, unimpressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You trying to manipulate me into stealing a book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang rolled his eyes, disbelievingly. He knew Ten far too well to believe that, and far better than to fall for something so obvious. “Wait here and don’t move. I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either luck (or sheer curiosity) kept Ten grounded as Yangyang walked off, looking for the main reason he wanted to bring Ten to the Library. He knew Ten would appreciate the building and its artistic grandeur, but the real reason was somewhere amongst all the books… The rows and rows of books… That all looked the same… Even the embossed titles looked the same. Yangyang was literate, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>level of literate. Winwin was the forger in WayV, not him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten was still waiting where Yangyang had left him, his hand raised as he brushed over the spines of the leather spines. Yangyang’s hurried footsteps made him turn around, his eyes dropping to the thin book in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a magic book,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously? You’re stupid, sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not stupid!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang hushed him, and flipped the book to a random page. He slowly read the words on the page, sounding the letters out in his head until he understood. Clearing his throat, Yangyang glanced up at Ten, and saw he had a small frown on his face, half confused, half curious. Yangyang grinned at him, and Ten’s expression softened as he smiled back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, my fairest under the moonlight. I follow the light across a million nights, drawn by your mere spectre. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My mind is hazy, my thirst is great, I wait for you to push aside the dark clouds, so I can drink from your -”  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah-</span>
  <em>
    <span>hem!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>An annoyed throat cleared behind Yangyang. Turning around, he saw a short, balding man with beady eyes squinting at him. Like a respectable scholar, he was wearing plain robes, tied around his waist with knotted rope. Less respectably, he didn’t have any shoes on. His feet were bare, the soles calloused and dirty, his toenails blue from the cold stone beneath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be </span>
  <em>
    <span>quiet </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the Library!” The shoeless scholar hissed. “There is to be no talking-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man stopped dead when he saw Ten. “A woman?!” He rounded on Yangyang. “You brought a woman into The Library?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang and Ten stared at each other. “Umm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out! Women are </span>
  <em>
    <span>f</span>
    <span>orbidden!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He screeched, his voice reaching far greater volumes than Yangyang or Ten’s ever did. “This is a place of knowledge and wisdom! The Scholar himself came down upon the earth </span>
  <em>
    <span>- he stepped foot on this very land - </span>
  </em>
  <span>and chose </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>Library for his sanctuary! It is no place for the frivolousness of a woman!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have stolen one of those books while you had the chance,” Ten muttered to Yangyang under his breath, as they got shooed out of the Library by half a dozen scandalised men, their bare feet tripping over their robes. If there wasn’t the threat of the centuries of knowledge burning down, they definitely would have been waving torches and pitchforks at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you, like, go for ten minutes without inciting a riot?” Yangyang scolded Ten. “You’re so embarrassing to be around.”</span>
</p><p><span>“It was your idea to go in there! And what did you expect me to do? Hike up my skirt to prove that I’m not</span> <span>a woman?!”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Gods…” A horrible, alarmingly clear image was in Yangyang’s head and he kind of wanted to drink poison to get rid of it.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, why were you reciting love poetry in the Library?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang looked at Ten, surprised. “Because that’s how you traditionally court someone? You read poetry to reflect your love for them. That’s how Pa won over my Ma.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang, you’re precious!” Ten clutched his heart, dramatically. “Ahh, why is my heart racing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m romancing you properly!” Yangyang’s cheeks were burning. “Ma still has the original poem my Pa gave her. She keeps it in a box in their bedroom. I was sore for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days </span>
  </em>
  <span>when she found me playing with the box, as a kid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you write me a poem?” Ten looked hurt. </span>
</p><p><span>“I tried to? I was trying to think of one in the carriage, earlier. It went; </span><em><span>‘No matter the distance between us, I’ll always hear your voice calling out to me. I love the way you want to talk to me, I just want you to...</span><span>’ </span></em><span>Ahh,</span> <span>well, then I fell asleep.”  </span></p><p>
  <span>Ten became even more dejected. “Thinking of me made you fall asleep…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In a good way! Because just the thought of you makes me feel safe and comfortable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang!” Ten exclaimed. Even though his makeup, his cheeks appeared flushed. “Cringey boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not cringey, I’m romantic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Figuring it was the best way to keep Kun out of the loop of another altercation, Yangyang and Ten decided to feign their desires to continue travelling and hurried back to the carriage. Even if Kun was suspicious of them, he would agree that leaving was the best thing. Rushing through the town, the bustling streets started becoming a hindrance as they had to elbow their way past people who had a far slower walking pace than them. They didn’t notice the small girl carrying a basket of flowers, her tiny head barely reaching the waists of tall adults, until they bumped into her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry,” Ten said, his voice girly and sweet, kneeling down beside her to help pick up the flowers from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang stood back, watching them carefully. He wasn’t being heartless! But accidentally bumping into someone and then stealing from their pockets while distracted was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>classic</span>
  </em>
  <span> move. He would know. And children were really good at it, because who would ever suspect an adorable, grubby little person with a basket of flowers? Yangyang’s eyes narrowed as he watched the girl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the last flower was back in the basket, Ten remained kneeling. The hem of his dress was in the dirt, but he didn’t seem to notice, as his focus was on the girl. “These are lovely flowers,” he said to her. “Did you pick them yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl nodded shyly. “I’m selling them,” she told the pretty woman in the green dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>“All</em> </span>
  <span>of them?! They’re almost as pretty as you are! Can I buy one from you?” Ten asked, and the girl giggled and rocked backwards and forwards. She held out the basket for Ten to see them better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl so far hadn’t done anything suspicious. Ten’s coin purse was still strapped to his belt, and no other stinky children milling about nearby, either. Cautiously, Yangyang knelt beside Ten and looked at the flowers. Most were flowering weeds and harmless wildflowers, but purple petals caught his eye. Picking out the flower from the basket, Yangyang held it carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t pick flowers like this,” he told her seriously. “They can make you very sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not supposed to eat the flowers,” the girl told him, and Ten’s girly voice nearly slipped as he laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, who </span>
  <em>
    <span>eats </span>
  </em>
  <span>flowers, Yangyang?” He teased. “It is very pretty, though. Maybe we should buy it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a short pause as Yangyang realised that was his cue to pay. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered a loose silver coin. The silver would be worth more than the entire basket. He looked at the girl, carefully. Dirt was smudged on her face and hands, though how much of it was from collecting the flowers he wasn’t sure. Her dress was a tattered grey thing, splotches of light hinting it was once another colour. Her thin hands wrapped tightly around the basket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Withdrawing his hand, Yangyang held out a gold coin to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl’s eyes widened when she saw the gold glittering in the light, then they darted up to Yangyang’s face, then down again to the coin. Shakily, she held out her hand and Yangyang dropped it in her small palm. “T-thank you,” she said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was generous,” Ten murmured afterwards, as they walked away, their arms interlocked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think she was genuine.” Yangyang shrugged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten looked at him, confused. “You questioned if she was a little girl? Did you think she was a little old lady, or perhaps like me?” He laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, like, not a thief. I was watching her, she didn’t try to steal your coin purse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Takes one to know one, huh? Would you have given her anything if she had tried?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang considered the question. “She was very thin,” he said slowly. “It’s probably been, like, a while since she’s eaten proper food. She would be stealing to feed herself.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unlike you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d be the last person to judge her for it,” Yangyang said. “She’d be a lot better off trying to steal than selling flowers. But I also, like, won’t stand for people taking advantage of those I care about. Maybe I could slip her a few coins after scolding her…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten rested his head on Yangyang’s shoulder. “My precious, cringy boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t just mean you! I mean all of WayV.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten straightened up. “Then I take it back. You’re just a common cringy boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just bought you a flower!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>common cringy boy,” Ten amended. “Romantic poetry and flowers? Really Yangyang, do you know me at all?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang grumbled something under his breath, sounding suspiciously like </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘not really a woman.’ </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what flower did you spend gold on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Emperorwort,” Yangyang said, holding up the purple flower for Ten to see. “The petals are, like, highly toxic and they’re used in many poisons.” Yangyang held a petal between his forefinger and thumb, and rubbed it. A faint, bluish tinge coated his fingers and he brought his hand up to his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang!” Ten exclaimed, alarmed. He had completely forgotten his voice when Yangyang licked one of his fingers, his hands digging painfully into his arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay! This amount won’t harm you, look.” Yangyang rubbed the petals again, and held up his fingers to show Ten properly. “It tastes bitter and kind of numbs your tongue. You need to actually, like, ingest a lot of…”  It wasn’t the poison on Yangyang’s tongue that stopped it from working, it was Ten leaning forward and sucking on his finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grimacing, Ten’s lips came off Yangyang’s finger with a quiet pop. “It tastes like burnt tea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Aha. Well, it can be used for a type of tea. Some alchemists would make for clients, when they have like, stomach worms..."  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The flower is pretty, though,” Ten said, looking at it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yep! I can put it in your hair if you’d like?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s lips curled up and he turned his head so Yangyang could properly see the braids twisted along the side of his head, and the strings of crystals pinned in. Carefully, Yangyang threaded the stem underneath the braid, making sure it sat securely in the hair. When the purple petals brushed against Ten’s ear, he pulled back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I look?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re beautiful,” he answered, and Ten beamed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang had expected him to gloat </span>
  <em>
    <span>(‘well, of course I’m beautiful! I’m your fiancé!’) </span>
  </em>
  <span>but he didn’t. He touched the flower in his hair shyly, his eyes cast down, too flustered to look at Yangyang. Ten played with braids and threaded strings in his hair, and when he finally glanced up, Yangyang’s heart skipped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s eyes crinkled happily as he looked at him and the truth of Yangyang’s words hit him hard. It was the disguise. The makeup and pretty hair pieces, that was all. He hadn’t ever </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought </span>
  </em>
  <span>of Ten like that before the disguise. Okay, he had objectively recognised Ten was attractive, but that wasn’t… It was Ten! There was more to Ten than just his appearance! He was so wickedly clever and funny, challenging and caring, he could hurt others without remorse, yet nurtured him with the same hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s chest ached. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, come back to me.” Ten was smiling at him, so fondly. “You’re lost in thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Yangyang stepped forward, his arms already reaching around Ten before he even realised his actions. An overwhelming yearning to be close to Ten drove him, wanting to </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. Ten was nonplussed, but he didn’t move away, instead he returned the embrace and it made the strange feeling in Yangyang’s chest grow larger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their faces were so close. Yangyang felt each puff of air from Ten’s mouth, his pink lips parted slightly, maybe in surprise, maybe for another reason. He watched as Ten’s eyelids drooped, his gaze unwavering as he started back at him. It felt like he was daring him to do something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were in the middle of a busy street, and while they had forgotten their place, those around them didn’t. A hard shoulder bumped past them, jolting Ten forward, his weight falling into Yangyang as he held on. Ten’s face was pressed into his shoulder, his back heaving under Yangyang’s hands with each breath, their bodies pressed close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go back…” Ten said faintly, waiting a long moment before pulling away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They held hands as they began walking back to the carriage. They said nothing about what had transpired, but a tangible energy was flowing between them, through their entwined fingers. Several blocks passed in silence, when Ten began to slow down, his footsteps becoming short, shuffling movements, until he finally stopped, clutching at Yangyang’s arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Yangyang asked alarmed, his mind instantly jumping back to the little girl. Did she actually manage to steal something from Ten?! Yangyang was watching closely, but he let down his guard near the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s fingers dug into his arm. “Yangyang, I feel sick.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel lightheaded. My vision’s starting to go blurry… Everything’s moving around me... Oh my Gods, I think it’s the poison. Yangyang, you poisoned me. I’m going to die.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, that wasn’t enough to kill you!” Yangyang said, secretly (not so secretly) panicking just as much as Ten was. Lightheadedness and blurry vision were the telltale symptoms of poisoning. But Yangyang didn’t have any antidotes on him! Those were in the bottles Kun took from him! He’d need to brew one, but that took time and- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s face was as white as Xiaojun’s stomach, his eyes fogging over. “I think I’m going to be sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay, let’s find you an urn or - Oh my Gods!” Yangyang quickly jumped out the way as Ten lurched forwards, violently throwing up on the cobblestone before him. Trying not to look or else he’d be upending his own stomach, Yangyang held back Ten’s blonde hair as he gave another unladylike retch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, like, I might have overestimated your tolerance for poison,” Yangyang said, later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had made it back to the carriage. Yangyang carried Ten in his arms as he hid his face behind his dress sleeves, moaning and cussing Yangyang out for his stupidity the whole way. After he died, Ten’s dead body would take its revenge on Yangyang because </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course </span>
  </em>
  <span>he had cast a sustained necromancy spell on himself in case he ever died unexpectedly. His animated corpse wouldn’t differentiate between an actual enemy and Yangyang, who had maybe thirty-seconds to run before Ten’s corpse awoke and began shambling after him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Kun was already by the carriage and healed Ten straight away, removing most of the poison from his body while scolding Yangyang at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the carriage, Ten slowly cracked his eyes open, his pupils wide and unfocused as he stared at Yangyang. His wig was gone and a wet rag was pressed to his forehead, his skin pale and sweaty. The rocking carriage made him groan and he weakly closed his eyes. “I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>tolerance for poison,” he replied, hollowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. That’s what I mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Priestess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the morning they were due to arrive at The Lady’s Temple and the air inside the carriage was charged. Yangyang’s stomach was twisting itself into knots and his heart was thumping against his ribcage, and he was thriving. </span>
  <span><em>This</em> </span>
  <span>was the feeling he loved before a mission; when he pushed himself and there was the risk of losing, but an even greater prize to win. Even Ten was affected by it, if not in the same way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they woke up, Ten had been himself. He was wrapped up in Yangyang’s arms, groaning that he wanted just five more minutes, and being as sleep-deprived as he was, Yangyang was happy to comply. Unfortunately, the loud knocks on their door telling them to wake up prevented it. As they were getting dressed, Ten still behaved normally. As he fitted the wig on his head, Yangyang had hugged him from behind, making him giggle. He called Yangyang a cringey-boy after being told he looked pretty, his eyes dancing with merriment in the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But when they were getting the carriage ready, Kun announced that they were set to arrive at The Lady’s Temple as early as mid-day and Ten became silent. Even when Hendery presented them with a wedding present he bought in Bronzeham (A set of matching woven bracelets in black and green thread with silver charms, that Hendery clarified weren’t eating utensils, but were meant to be pitchforks) Ten didn’t even crack a smile while everyone else laughed. Instead, he took his bracelet silently and climbed into the carriage with a frown marring his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang knew it was nerves that had gotten to Ten and so he wasn’t too worried. He suspected that the reality of their mission was sinking in - that it wasn’t just them dressing up and having fun, it was now something they </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>mess up. But there was no doubt in his mind they were going to succeed. Their disguises as lovers were foolproof; he was a very handsome man and Ten made a very beautiful woman, and he knew no one was going to question their undying devotion for each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is going to be so much fun!” Yangyang exclaimed. On the road, the carriage rattled around them and he swayed with each slight bump. “We’re going to be the best couple there! Real couples are going to look at us and, like, be jealous of us. They’re going to be, like, </span>
  <span><em>‘he’s such a handsome, loving fiancé, I wish mine was like that,’</em> </span>
  <span>but we’d be super humble about it and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang.” Ten’s expression was void and withdrawn and it shredded through his disguise like wet parchment. With an expression like that, no clothing, blonde hair or makeup could hide the mercenary sitting in the carriage. “Baby, I want to talk to you about what’s going to happen when we get to the temple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang paused. “I know what’s going to happen,” he said, and Ten grimaced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure you do.” Rising from his bench, Ten shuffled over in the small carriage and sat down beside Yangyang. His leg pressed up against Yangyang’s, his satin shoe brushing against his boot. He took a deep breath and looked Yangyang in the eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang…” Ten was hesitant. “When we’re at the temple, during the wedding ceremony, we’re going to have to kiss.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s heart began racing. Yeah. He had a suspicion. But they had never discussed it until now and it was something that he didn’t want to address in his own thoughts. At nighttime when he couldn’t sleep and Ten was beside him in bed, it was one of those things that seemed wildly inappropriate. Especially since he didn’t know if that was something they’d even do, and thinking about it was weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need to,” he said, weakly. “We could just be a chaste couple?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to be convincing,” Ten told him gently. “No-one in the temple can doubt us, or our love. Look.” Ten took Yangyang’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He placed a gentle kiss on the back of Yangyang’s knuckles. “This is comfortable, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Yangyang answered honestly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “And this?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine.” Yangyang’s voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat. He stared at Ten’s lips, plump and shining with pink stain. The skin where he had kissed tingled and Yangyang wondered if there were opaque marks smeared on his skin. He didn’t tear his eyes away from Ten’s face to look down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s affectionate,” Ten continued, softly. “It’s real. We just need to add a little more to it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Okay,” Yangyang hesitantly agreed. “We can kiss.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to practice now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what?! </span>
  <span><em>No!”</em> </span>
  <span>Yangyang practically screeched, yanking his hands from Ten’s grasp. He wanted to.... <em>Now?! </em>Images bombarded Yangyang's mind. Kissing Ten. Kissing Ten in the carriage. Kissing Ten in the carriage as Ten crawled into his lap, the skirt bunching up passed his knees as he-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yangyang,” Ten scolded him, as he clamoured away from him. He didn’t get far in the small carriage and ended up with his back pressed against the wooden interior, with the window frame digging into his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine at the Temple,” Yangyang insisted. “Look how good I’ve been up until now! We don’t need to practice something like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you think in front of The Lady’s Priestesses, when not just our mission, but our reputation as mercenaries is on the line, you’ll be okay?” Ten rose an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be different then,” Yangyang whined stubbornly. He couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>kiss </span>
  </em>
  <span>him now! Not when his mind was still unhelpfully supplying him with <em>those </em>images. They weren’t thoughts of two mercenaries doing what was needed to be done, they were… something else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be embarrassing, ” he added, pathetically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Ten’s expression hardened. “Yangyang, enough. Prove to me you can act like my fiancé and kiss me. Then I’ll drop it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang wanted to continue protesting, but he knew he had pushed Ten to a point where he no longer found his boyish behaviour endearing. Fearing his racing heart would give away his true thoughts, he tried to calm down. He looked at Ten’s lips, back up to his eyes, then firmly down at his lap. “Okay…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning forward quickly before his nerves failed him, he gave Ten a small peck on his lips. It barely lasted a second, but it was long enough for Yangyang to feel how soft Ten’s lips were against his and how very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>different it was to kissing bare skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhhh!” Yangyang fell forward, knocking Ten back as he huddled over, burying his face in Ten’s lap as it burned with mortification. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, Yangyang, you’re adorable,” Ten crooned, rubbing his back as Yangyang tried to cover his face with his green dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just want to make me suffer,” came Yangyang’s muffled reply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of </span>
  <span><em>course</em> </span>
  <span>I don’t,” Ten said, and Yangyang didn’t believe a single word of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Face burning, he could feel the beginning of tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Why couldn’t Ten just… Yangyang didn’t want him making fun of him over this. Not right now. Sitting up, he glared at Ten. “You’re just teasing me,” he accused. “We won’t even need to kiss at the temple, you’re just being evil to me.” </span>
</p><p><span>Ten’s eyebrows knitted together. “Baby, I’m not,” he said</span> <span>earnestly. “We need to be prepared for what’s going to happen in the Temple. When the time comes, we can’t mess up.”</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You </span>
  </em>
  <span>do it then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiss me.” Yangyang knew he was lashing out from embarrassment, but he didn’t care. His face was burning red and lips pouting, and he knew he looked every bit the child Ten thought of him as. “You try to do it convincingly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, Ten didn't object. Nothing in his movements were startling, but Yangyang still flinched when one of his hands cupped his face. He shushed Yangyang, rubbing his thumb over his hot cheek to calm him. “Are you ready?” He asked, and Yangyang nodded, but when he began to lean forwards, Yangyang screwed his eyes shut.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the rustling of Ten’s dress and felt as Ten moved in, and Yangyang’s breath hitched. He suddenly became aware of how dry his lips felt but he didn’t dare move to lick them. His heartbeat was thudding in his neck and his palms felt clammy as he waited for Ten. To feel his lips on his again. But the space between them didn’t disappear and the agonising wait became too much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cracking his eyes open, Yangyang found Ten’s face right in front of his own, watching him closely with such intense expression it almost made him reel back. Then, Ten’s face softened and he smiled. </span>
  <span>And that expression Yangyang knew. He saw it after a successful mission, or when he proudly showed off something seemingly impossible he had thieved, or when he had beaten Xiaojun in a wrestling match, or when he was telling a funny story over the campfire, or…  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang’s eyelids fluttered closed when Ten’s lips touched his. The kiss was just as soft as the one Yangyang gave before, but unlike him, Ten didn’t pull away. His lips remained pressed against Yangyang’s and began to softly move, inviting Yangyang to kiss him back.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air inside the carriage was muggy and still. The horses’ clopping drifting in through the open window was deafening as Ten’s hand fell from Yangyang’s face to his shoulder, squeezing the fabric. Above them, Hendery’s laugh punctured the air as he and Kun reminisced about the time a selkie fell in love with Winwin, and Yangyang’s mouth opened as Ten’s tongue ran across his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang trembled as Ten’s hands travelled down and gripped his biceps. His own hands reached out, settling on Ten’s waist, feeling the way the fabric moved as Ten shifted. A shaky gasp broke from his mouth as Ten bit down on his lip, and it turned into a soft whine as he lapped over the stinging flesh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Ten?” Yangyang didn’t recognise his own voice. It was high and breathy, like he had outrun a mountain troll or ingested a little too much poison trying to build up his immunity. Every inch of him was hot beneath his clothes and his head was dizzy as the carriage rocked around them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Having Ten stare at him like that - like he was something rare and priceless - only made him squeeze his eyes back shut and his fingers clench harder, digging into the dress and muscle beneath. Another whine was pressing at his throat to escape when Ten’s mouth crashed back onto his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang wasn’t quite sure how long they continued kissing. Or how he ended up in Ten’s lap, his knees splayed either side of his hips, with Ten’s tongue down his throat. But he wasn’t complaining; not with how Ten cradled his head so carefully, sending tingles down his spine as he petted his hair, making him moan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hair, watch the hair,” Ten kept gasping as Yangyang’s hands wrapped around the back of his head, wanting to hold him the same way. The long, blonde strands tangled in his fingers and Yangyang wanted to rip the wig off. He dropped his hands to Ten’s arms, feeling how the muscles rippled beneath the dress as his hands roamed over him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang yelped and nearly bit Ten’s tongue when the carriage jolted violently and the window shutters slammed closed, nearly splitting the wood at the metal hinges. It was enough for him to pull away, panting for air. He felt both electrified and suffocated in his own skin, gasping in the stifling air in the small carriage. He trembled in Ten’s arms, trying to calm his reeling mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Hendery's muffled voice shouted out above them. “We just ran over a bandit!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peeling himself from Ten, Yangyang slid off his lap and sat down on the bench opposite him. He tugged on his clothes, trying to smooth out the imaginary creases, fearing that if Kun or Hendery saw them they’d recognise instantly what happened. “I think we can… do that convincingly,” he told Ten, his voice only as loud as he dared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bandits are attacking a merchant wagon!” Kun shouted. “We’re going to stop. Don’t get out of the carriage, it’ll be unsafe.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. Because Ten and Yangyang were a wealthy couple in love and definitely not a pair of mercenaries capable of fighting against a group of vagabond bandits. And merely hours from The Lady’s Temple, it definitely wasn’t something they could risk, anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The carriage stopped and they heard Kun and Hendery climb down from the coachman seat. Unintelligible, loutish shouting started, followed by metal clashing, the soft rushes of magic sailing through the air, and then more shouting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the fight raged on outside the carriage, Ten patted his long hair, adjusting the wig so it sat properly on his head, again. His cheeks were glowing through his makeup, all the more adding to his disguise of a blushing maiden on her way to get married. Though not quite a picture of untouched innocence with pink lip stain smeared across his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm.. you have, like,” Yangyang gestured to his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do, too,” Ten replied and Yangyang quickly wiped his mouth, rubbing at his lips until they were raw and tingling for another reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clearing his throat, Yangyang said, “So… umm… what do you think it’ll be like? Inside her temple? I’ve never been it, before.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never?!” As they forced the conversation into safer territory, Ten’s enthusiasm was overly exaggerated. Catching himself, Ten tried again. “I thought once every boy learns about The Lady and her Temple they sneak in to spy on the Priestesses.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No? I didn’t grow up here, remember. I left home as soon as I was able to and paid for passage across the sea. I didn’t want to be, like, a farm-boy forever, I wanted to do something more exciting.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like being a light-fingered rogue?” Ten teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve always been good with my hands.” Yangyang regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s eyes widened and his mouth twitched into the formings of a smirk. Yangyang winced, not sure if he could handle </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>teasing from Ten. Not after… what they just did. Even dreading what Ten would suggest was conjuring some incredibly scandalous images in his head. Maybe jumping out of the carriage and throwing himself on a bandit’s sword was an acceptable solution to his problem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small, logical part of his mind currently struggling to run at overcapacity pointed out that, </span>
  <span><em>no,</em> </span>
  <span>it wasn’t. The real couple dying was the reason they were in this situation, to begin with. Yangyang had to postpone his death until the mission was over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Ten kept his mouth shut. He bit his lip, fighting against such an easy setup, but he showed Yangyang mercy and didn’t speak. Outside the carriage, there was a boom and the crackling sound of ice breaking.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her Temple is beautiful,” Ten said, and Yangyang had to think for a moment what Ten was talking about. “In the main hall, where the ceremonies are performed, the ceiling is made of glass. It’s stained glass art, depicting The Lady and her beauty, but in the very centre, the glass is clear. It’s to let The Lady see in, at night. When people receive her blessing, it’s while the moons are high above them in the sky, and she’s watching.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why isn’t there, like, no ceiling then?” Yangyang asked. “If they want The Lady’s moon-eyes watching, why don’t they just not have a roof? Or, like, go outside?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because it might rain,” Ten answered, and Yangyang figured he couldn’t argue with that. Ten began laughing softly. “You’ll see when we get to the Temple there’s a… ah, unabashedness when it comes to displays of love. The Priestesses are taught their bodies are vessels to channel The Lady’s spirit through, and want as little between them and the physical plain. If they were running around outside without clothes, they’d get cold quickly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no clothes?!” Yangyang exclaimed. “Her Priestesses are naked?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten shrugged, unconcerned. “They’ll have on light robes. Mostly. Depends on what services they’re performing.” Ten laughed louder, and Yangyang started to become seriously concerned over just what kind of temple this was. “It’s a temple of </span>
  <span><em>love,”</em> </span>
  <span>Ten explained, his grin wide. “Not just wedding ceremonies are performed there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang was scandalised, for more than one reason. How did Ten know so much?! “How often </span>
  <span><em>have</em> </span>
  <span>you been to Her Temple?” He asked, and Ten’s cheerful expression dropped instantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I haven’t been back in many years now.” He looked down at his hands, a small frown creeping on his face. “I’m nervous to return,” he admitted</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Oh my Gods, did they kick you out? Did you get banned?!” Yangyang knew it was an inappropriate question, but he couldn't stop himself. Picturing Ten as some kind of wanton deviant wasn’t… all that out of character, he thought.    </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten looked up at him, still frowning. “Kun never told you I was one of Her Priestesses, did he? Before I met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or there was </span>
  <span><em>that.</em> </span>
  <span>“N-no?” Yangyang stared at him with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten smiled thinly. “I didn’t think he would. It was long before we formed WayV. Before Kun had even started teaching me magic.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang opened his mouth, a million questions on his lips. “But… </span>
  <span><em>why?</em> </span>
  <span>How? Why did you leave? Wait, how </span>
  <span><em>did</em> </span>
  <span>you meet Kun? </span>
  <span><em>Did he, like, go to you for services?!</em> </span>
  <span>Oh my Gods, he </span>
  <span><em>did,</em> </span>
  <span>didn’t he?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hearty laugh burst from Ten’s mouth. “As if Kun would ever,” he said with a wide smile on his face, the tension in his shoulders relaxing. “No, I met him after I left Her Temple. I was poor and penniless, and desperately travelling around the kingdom in search of a new life. But I only had a certain set of skills that I hadn’t yet resorted to out of pride, and it was… difficult. When my despair became too much, I accidentally blasted a hole in the side of a building. It turned out to be a minor lord’s home, and Kun was his arcane advisor at the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He kept me out of trouble,” Ten said, smiling softly. “He realised from my shock that I wasn’t just untrained, I was unaware I even could cast magic. He stopped the guards arresting me and instead invited me to be an apprentice under him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we met,” Yangyang marvelled, piecing their story together. “I was working with Hendery and Xiaojun. We were doing odd jobs but, like, we didn’t have a well-rounded team because none of us could cast magic. Oh! And remember when we met Lucas and Winwin in The Clockmaker’s Ruins?! That was </span>
  <em><span>so</span> <span>crazy, </span></em>
  <span>I can’t believe we survived that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We worked well together, even back then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so why did you leave the Temple?” Yangyang asked. “If you didn’t know you had magic, why did you leave?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten sighed. “I was forced to,” he admitted. “If you had told me back then, that in a few years I wouldn’t be a Priestess anymore and I’d be fraternising with mercenaries, I wouldn’t have believed a single thing. I thought it was my destiny to serve Her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, Ten began his story. “When I was a young boy, no more than nine or ten, I was walking back home from the markets when a hunchbacked croon called out to me. She was half-blind and twice-mad according to the other townsfolk, and my parents had warned me to stay away from her. However, she told me she could see my destiny, and that she would share it with me for merely a cutting of Night Rose.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Night Rose is a common ingredient in poison making,” Yangyang interjected. “The petals aren’t poisonous, but they’re, like, an amplifying ingredient. They strengthen any poison they come into contact with.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s also a symbol of The Lady,” Ten said. “If I was a good boy, I would have ignored her and gone home…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang grinned. “You stole Night Rose from an alchemist’s garden, didn’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” Ten laughed. “I plucked up half of their garden because I didn’t know what Night Rose looked like. The old Fortune Teller liked the bouquet I presented her with, and she told me that I was destined to serve The Lady.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten sighed, wistfully. “She said I was passionate and loving, with a big heart that The Lady could nurture, and that I would flourish under her guidance. And even as a young boy, I was captivated by the idea. Being told I had a destiny- such a straight-forward one such as serving a God- it was all that I wanted to do. As soon as I was old enough, I became an Initiate at Her Temple. A year after, I became the youngest Priestess ever appointed…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what happened?” Yangyang asked hesitantly.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say there was a particular patron of the Temple who sought my, ah, assistance in understanding The Lady’s love quite often.” Ten smiled ruefully. “When her husband found out, he wasn’t pleased.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so why did they kick </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> out?” Yangyang asked, confused. “You just did what you were supposed to do, right? If she was, like, doing something her husband didn’t like, then that’s between them to sort out! It has nothing to do with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally, yes,” Ten agreed. “However, her husband was the King, so he had more leverage than the average man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a long pause. “Wait, you… and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Queen?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yangyang’s mouth hung open so wide that if the carriage shutters weren’t closed a passing bird would have wanted to nest in it. Then his face twisted. <em>“</em></span>
  <em>
    <span>Ten, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she’s, like, seventy years old-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten scoffed. “She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>barely </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her forties.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s old enough to be your </span>
  <em>
    <span>grandmother-” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Age is not a boundary! Love is something </span>
  <span><em>anyone</em> </span>
  <span>can receive, regardless of their age, gender, species-”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hendery’s grandmother!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You </span>
  <span><em>kissed</em> </span>
  <span>me with the same mouth-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s not even related to Hendery!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yangyang was still shooting Ten disgusted looks when they arrived at The Lady’s Temple. Not long after their discussion in the carriage ended, Kun and Hendery had finished dealing with the bandits. They were rewarded handsomely by the merchants who gave them several satchels of rare, desert spices they had brought across the sea to sell. WayV had no need for such a thing, but the small bags were worth several times their weight in gold, and </span>
  <span><em>that</em> </span>
  <span>was all that mattered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the carriage came to a halt, Yangyang shook his head, trying to focus on what they were about to do. The last portion of the ride had been silent, Yangyang shocked by Ten’s reveal, but also struggling to deal with the images filling his mind of wrinkled skin and Ten’s naked body pressed against it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knock on the carriage door and Hendery opened it, bowing extravagantly to them. “Welcome to The Lady’s Temple, young Lord Erik and gentle Miss Mira of Blackridge Pass!” He all but shouted. “The WayV Mercenaries have brought you here alive and unharmed, just like our mission required!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten and Yangyang started at Hendery blankly, but Ten composed himself first. “Thank you for your assistance, kind mercenary,” he said in his girly voice, and gracefully accepted Hendery’s hand as he climbed down out of the carriage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scrambling after them, Yangyang blinked against the sunlight. It was early afternoon (the bandits delayed them, but with his pocketed filled with expensive spices, Kun wasn’t so concerned anymore) and the sun was shining directly on the white temple in front of them. Whereas The Scholar’s Library had towered over them, the black stone reaching impossible heights, The Lady’s Temple was squatter, though no less grand.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The white stone almost hurt to look at in the daylight. Several levels rose before them, with smooth pillars sculpted into twisting spirals that held up the upper levels. A wide set of white stairs led up from the cobblestone road to open doors, framed with windows of coloured glass, depicting images of blooming flowers and what looked like naked bodies entwined together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Temple was in a prosperous section of the city, but the earthy colours of the neighbouring buildings looked stained and dirty in comparison. The iron lanterns along the streets were dark and rusted, even though such a thing would only exist in an affluent district. The trees were clearly cared for and pruned so no stray leaves or branches were out of place, but even they looked too organic and rustic in comparison to the glowing, white temple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Yangyang looked around, an arm wrapped around his and Ten pressed himself beside him. Ten smiled softly at him, his expression tender and full of love, and Yangyang grinned back.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you ever need further assistance from the WayV Mercenaries we will be in the nearby tavern!” Hendery announced loudly, and even Ten couldn’t keep a straight face that time. Sitting up on the carriage, Kun turned to them looking distressed. Hendery wasn’t supposed to be shouting their meetup location afterwards! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, thank you,” Yangyang said, forcing himself to smile wider. Then, ignoring the mercenaries who he had absolutely no relationship with outside of them escorting him and his fiancé across the kingdom, he turned to Ten and placed a soft kiss on his temple. “Shall we, like, go inside, my love?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hendery coughed loudly to conceal his snort of laughter and Yangyang’s face burned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go inside,” Ten agreed, squeezing his arm tighter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring Hendery snickering behind them, they began walking towards the Temple. “I’m glad they’re not coming in, too,” Yangyang grumbled once they were comfortably out of earshot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten laughed delicately. “I can’t imagine either of them keeping a straight face,” Ten replied, his voice remaining girly. “If they give us grief after this, we just need to remind both of them what happened with the goblins in Silverkeep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang laughed loudly as they ascended the white stairs. He knew </span>
  <span><em>exactly</em> </span>
  <span>what Ten was referring to. “The shaman goblin was so taken by Kun! It really wanted to keep him even though they won their freedom in the coliseum.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching the top of the stairs, Yangyang got a better look at the stained glass artwork on the windows framing the large door. It was beautiful craftsmanship and he couldn’t imagine how long creating something so detailed and intricate would take. Each flower petal was shaded, each dewdrop, each thin line of veins shaping the leaves. He also was able to confirm that it definitely featured </span>
  <em>
    <span>a </span>
  </em>
  <span><em>lot</em> </span>
  <span>of naked people. And yeah. Very detailed, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are these the stained glass windows you were talking about?” Yangyang asked, tearing his eyes away from it. He had a fiancé he was about to get </span>
  <span><em>married</em> to </span>
  <span>and definitely couldn’t stare at suggestive artwork. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Oh no, silly! This is just the entrance. I told you, the entire ceiling inside is stained glass!” Ten said, giggling as he tugged Yangyang inside.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Broken Shards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The interior of The Lady’s Temple was even more beautiful than Ten had described. The stone walls and floor were as white as the exterior, and the unlit sconces and wooden doorways were so dark against them, they looked like illusions Yangyang’s eyes had created rather than actually existing. Above them, the glass ceiling shone bright. </p><p>Like the windows at the entrance, colourful, romantic artworks of bountiful gardens and loving bodies stretched out into the far corners, and the sun shining through projected the colours across the white interior of the Temple. The details of the intricate art were lost on the stone walls and floor, but through the patches of colour, it still felt magical on its own. Squinting against the bright ceiling, Yangyang could see in the very centre of the hall, directly above The Lady’s altar, the artwork stopped, creating a circle of clear glass. </p><p>Commanding attention from everyone who stepped foot into the Temple was a marble statue of who only could be The Lady. Her voluptuous body posed before an altar, her arms outstretched as if she was welcoming them into her Temple. Benches with plush cushions piled upon them rippled out from the altar in rows of half circles. Several couples were seated on the further benches, whispering to each other in the quiet Temple, and paid no attention to Ten and Yangyang. </p><p>As they got close to the altar, Yangyang was taken aback by just how lifelike the statue was. The Lady stared down at them as they approached, shadows flickering across her face from the many melting candles around the altar. She must have been crafted by a Maestro elf in service to The Artist, for there was no way someone with mortal hands could have captured such otherworldly beauty from stone. </p><p>In the flickering candlelight, it looked like she was moving. Her eyes focused on them as they drew close, her chest rising and falling softly with each breath. Yangyang was (more than) half expecting her to suddenly move, like turning her head or lowering her arms. She was naked, save for thin fabric draped over her body, carved from the marble. <em>How</em> the artist managed to make the solid stone look sheer, Yangyang didn’t know, but as he stared at her breasts, he released <em> exactly </em>how they had, and quickly looked down. </p><p>“We should pray,” Ten murmured, guiding Yangyang towards her. </p><p>Amongst the candles and burning incense, piles upon piles of coins, trinkets, and cut flowers were placed at her feet and around the altar. He was surprised by how much <em> gold </em>there was. Not just coins, but necklaces with gems embedded, rings, brooches. A sparkling emerald necklace caught his eye and Yangyang bit his lip. </p><p>“Try not to steal anything,” Ten whispered to him. </p><p>“I would <em> never </em>steal from a God,” Yangyang whispered back. He wasn’t lying, but that didn’t mean the temptation wasn’t there. </p><p>“And don’t touch the altar. You wouldn’t want to know what happens on it.” </p><p>“Have you done things on the altar?” Yangyang asked, half-jokingly.</p><p>Ten’s smile morphed into a smirk and Yangyang felt heat rise up his face and neck, and had to avert his gaze from him, too. Never had he been more appreciative of The Beggar before. <em>He </em>didn’t require anything from them (though there was a superstition amongst thieves to never ignore a blind beggar on the streets). </p><p>Kneeling down, Ten placed a pouch of coins beside the altar. His head tilted up, eyes sharp, as he looked up at the sculpture’s face. “I wonder if she cares that I've returned,” he mused quietly, his voice deep. “If she even noticed my absence at all. I thought about her a lot at first, begging her to hear my prayers and take me back.” </p><p>Yangyang expected Ten to continue, but he let out a sigh and dropped his head. His eyes closed, and Yangyang realised Ten had begun his prayer to the silent God and quickly kneeled beside him. </p><p>Closing his eyes, Yangyang listened to the quiet room. He could hear Ten’s breathing beside him, deeper and louder than Yangyang’s own. Faint murmurs came from the other couples around them, and beyond the stone walls, he heard muffled footsteps and dull knocks as people moved around. </p><p>Inhaling, Yangyang smelled the burning wicks and faint smoke from the candles. The fresh fragrance of the bouquets cutting through the heavy incense, with the earthy, almost licoricey scent of Night Rose overpowering the other flowers.  </p><p>Feeling the dull pain from kneeling on the stone floor, Yangyang shifted minutely and wondered if he should be praying too. Would The Lady listen, or would his thoughts remain secret and never leave his head? The Beggar didn’t ask for worship from thieves, so Yangyang wasn’t sure how he was supposed to behave. What if The Lady <em> did </em>hear his thoughts, and it brought attention to their deception?</p><p><em>‘Dear Divine Lady,’</em> Yangyang hesitantly began. <em> ‘My name’s Yangyang and I’m a rogue aligned with The Beggar. But you probably already knew that. I’m not sure if you’ll actually hear this, but if you do, I want you to know that what Ten and I are doing is not meant as, like, a mockery against you.’ </em></p><p>Yangyang swallowed thickly and continued to carefully think what he wanted the God to hear. <em> ‘I understand that this must, like, look really bad to you. I killed the real couple who were coming here and we’re now pretending to be them, but I promise it isn’t that bad! I mean… it kind of is… but, like, I really love Ten! Maybe not in </em> that <em> way, but…’ </em></p><p>His thoughts faltered, remembering the rush he felt kissing Ten in the carriage, and something warm blossomed within him. <em> ‘I love him,’ </em> he reiterated. <em> ‘I’m not sure, like, how to describe it, but you probably already know how I feel, right? You’re the Goddess of Love. </em></p><p>
  <em> ‘Please don’t Godly smite us because we’re pretending to get married? Ten is only here because he’s trying to protect me, and I don’t want him to get hurt because of that. If I need to, like, go into your servitude, then I will! I’ll honour you however you wish. I’ll bring you all kinds of valuable treasures, and Night Rose! Ten said you like it. I’ll set up shrines for you as we travel around, and let everyone know-’  </em>
</p><p>“Yangyang?” </p><p>Opening his eyes, Yangyang looked at Ten who was watching him. He smiled at him, and reached over and squeezed his hand softly. Quiet footsteps approached behind them and Yangyang glanced over his shoulder. </p><p>“Good afternoon, my dears,” a cheerful, young Priestess greeted them. Her clothes resembled what the statue of The Lady was wearing; a thin, white robe tied loosely around her waist, forming a deep V, exposing her chest and navel. The fabric was so sheer, her skin showed through it, and Yangyang’s eyes darted around in panic before settling on her toes. “How may Our Lady help you today?”</p><p>“We came here to get The Lady’s blessing,” Ten answered in the feminine voice. He rose to his feet and curtseyed the Priestess. </p><p>The Priestess’s eyes sharpened on him and Yangyang’s heart stuttered, thinking she had recognised her old colleague. Her eyes dropped to the purse Ten had placed at the altar, smiled knowingly, then back up to Ten. “And she welcomes you with open arms! You’ve arrived on a wonderful day; there won’t be a cloud in the sky tonight and there are already other couples who will go through the ceremony with you. It will be a lovely evening for us all.”</p><p>“That sounds wonderful.” Ten smiled at her, unable to completely hide his relief in his voice. </p><p>“Have you travelled far? You’re welcome to stay in the Temple until tonight, or if you’d like to explore the city, I can tell you the best sight-seeing places!”</p><p>“We’re from Blackridge Pass,” Yangyang answered. “My name’s Erik, my father is the Lord of the town. He employed the WayV mercenaries to escort us here.” </p><p>The Priestess’s eyes widened. “Of course, Erik and Mira! We’ve been expecting you. A message from the Lord of Blackridge Pass arrived only a few days ago, he would be pleased to know you both arrived so quickly! By The Lady’s grace, you travelled quite a distance, didn’t you? You must be dreadfully tired. Would you like me to show you the baths to freshen up in?”</p><p>Ten bit his lip, cautiously. “Are there any private baths we could use?” </p><p>The Priestess’s face fell. “Oh, I’m sorry dears. We only have the communal bath heated right now. We haven’t had many visitors today, and haven’t needed to prepare all the baths. But, I don’t believe anyone is in there right now, so you will have privacy.” </p><p>Ten was alarmed by what she said, but Yangyang doubted the Priestess noticed the slight shift in his expression. “Of course we understand,” Ten said, smiling over at Yangyang, who nodded in agreement. </p><p>“Wonderful! I’ll get you some robes to change into, and show you where the bath is.”  </p><p>The moment the door slid open, steam hit Yangyang’s face, making him sway. A giant rectangular pool took up most of the room, steam rising from the still surface in white swirls. Pillars of stone encircled it, creating a defined walkway between the bath and the walls. Stone benches were against the walls for them to place their clothes on, separated to give them their own space, though did nothing for privacy. Sunlight was shining in through the high windows, but even though the shutters were open, it did little to vent out the hot steam. </p><p>Like the Priestess had said, there was no-one else inside (that Yangyang could see through the steam). </p><p>“I’ll give you your privacy,” the Priestess said, taking her leave. “Once you’re finished, you can leave your clothes in the cupboards in the hallway. Before it gets dark, you really should take a walk through the Temple gardens; it’s absolutely beautiful right now! Oh, but do show caution when exploring the Temple. Not everyone remembers to lock the doors.” She gave a tinkling laugh as she closed the door behind her, leaving Yangyang and Ten alone. </p><p>“We have to wash in a communal bath?” He scrunched up his nose. “That’s kind of gross. What if someone’s peed in it?”</p><p>Ten let out a huff of laughter. “Believe me, that’s not the bodily fluid you need to be concerned about,” he said, girly voice gone. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Let’s get in the water before someone else comes in,” Ten said, reaching for several towels from the racks near the door. He had walked over to the closest bench, already pulling his wig off when Yangyang caught on to what he said. </p><p>“O-oh my <em>Gods, that’s disgusting! </em>Ten, how could you?!” Yangyang clutched his white robes to his chest, in an act of both protection and comfort. </p><p>Halfway through unlacing his dress, Ten looked up at him, shocked. “What?! I never did that!”  </p><p>“I can’t believe you. First old grandmas and now -” Yangyang gestured to the pool. His eyes widened with realisation. “Oh my Gods, Ten, you didn’t with her in the water-” </p><p><em>“No!”</em> Ten snapped. “I have never done that in the communal bath! There are just <em> some </em>couples who can’t keep their hands to themselves.” </p><p>“I want to see your hands at all times,” Yangyang said, pointing an accusing finger at him, and Ten rolled his eyes. “Keep them above the water, where I can see them.”</p><p>With great reluctance (and Ten telling him to <em> hurry up </em> before someone else did come in) Yangyang stripped off his clothes and climbed into the hot bath. The pool was only waist-deep, but there were shallow steps under the water to sit on, letting the water reach his shoulders. Ten took longer to get undressed than he did, as he had to carefully wrap the disguise up in a towel, and then wrap <em> another </em>towel around his head to hide his short, black hair. </p><p>“Good thing you can’t, like, see much through the steam,” Yangyang commented as Ten slid into the water beside him. </p><p>“This is so nice,” Ten moaned, closing his eyes. “I’ve missed this…” </p><p>It <em>was</em> really nice. The water was bordering on being too hot, but it was still at a comfortable heat. Fragrant oils swirled around on the surface of the water in mutable rainbows, making Yangyang feel like he was lying in a flowering meadow on a warm spring day, with the sun warming him. “We could make new disguises and come back again,” Yangyang suggested. </p><p>“A new disguise for each time,” Ten laughed. “Don’t try to convince me, because right now I’ll agree.” </p><p>“Do you know the Priestess?” Yangyang asked. “I don’t think she recognised you.”</p><p>Ten hummed. “She was an Initiate when I left. She probably wouldn’t remember me even without the disguise.” </p><p>“That’s good.” Yangyang breathed a sigh of relief. “We just need to worry about The Lady showing up.” </p><p>Ten had assured him that The Lady wouldn’t appear, but after praying to her, Yangyang’s worries resurfaced again. Had his prayers been enough to secure the success of their mission? And if not his, then had Ten’s?  </p><p>“What did you pray to The Lady for?” Yangyang asked, hesitantly.</p><p>Ten opened his eyes. “At the altar? I didn’t pray to her, exactly. I… I apologised for taking so long to return to her. I told her that I’ve found something I only thought would exist if I served her, and… I hadn’t felt like I needed her guidance anymore. I don’t know if it <em> was </em> her intention or not, but I thanked her for leading me to what I believe is my true path to walk down, and ask that she continues to watch over me.”  </p><p>“Oh.” Yangyang shifted awkwardly on the bench beneath the water. “I told her that I loved you, and asked that she doesn’t expose us, because we might be frauds but our feelings are genuine. Even if it’s not, like, the typical romantic love she would normally see in her Temple, I ask that she still recognises it.”  </p><p>Ten looked surprised by his confession, then he smiled. “You’re so cute.” </p><p>“No, I’m not,” Yangyang whined automatically. </p><p>“My Yangyang is growing up. He’s starting to understand how love works.”  </p><p>“I’m already grown up,” Yangyang protested, and Ten simply laughed.   </p><p>Yangyang could feel his forehead beading with sweat from the hot pool but didn’t bother raising his hand from the hot water to wipe it off. The heat around him was seeping deep into his body, into his very bones, and wondered if he would ever feel cold again after this. Even if it was the middle of winter, he felt like he could step out into knee-deep snow and not break out into goosebumps (or frostbite). Maybe when their mercenary days were over, WayV could open up a bathhouse and charge people to use them… It would mostly be Kun working to keep the pools warm, but the others could definitely make themselves look busy between soaking in the baths. </p><p>Looking back over at Ten, Yangyang saw his makeup had begun to run with the steam and sweat, and had dark streaks smudged under his eyes. Wading over, Yangyang squatted down in front of him, trying to keep as much of his torso under the hot water as he could. “Hold still, you have, like,” Yangyang carefully took the triangular corner of the towel wrapped around Ten’s head, and dabbed it against his cheeks carefully. Black kohl began to rub off onto the looped cloth. “Your makeup’s running.”</p><p>“I left my makeup on the carriage,” Ten murmured, concerned. “I didn’t think about this…” </p><p>“You’ll look pretty with or without it,” Yangyang replied. Ten stared at him silently and Yangyang felt himself go hotter. Maybe the temperature of the pool <em> was </em>too much, for the water was suddenly feeling unbearable. “I mean it!” He argued against the silence. </p><p>“I know, baby.”</p><p>It was difficult to not look into Ten’s eyes as he tried to clean the makeup off his face, especially knowing they were boring so intently into him. Carefully wiping the black lines from his cheeks, Yangyang ended up staring at his pink lips instead, which took his mind right back to when he was kissing them in the carriage earlier, and okay, maybe the eyes <em> were </em> the better option.  </p><p>There was a faint splash and trickle of water as one of Ten’s hands rose out of the water and gently touched the side of Yangyang’s face. It was so light it didn’t feel like he was touching him, as the heat of his hand matched Yangyang’s cheek. Yangyang’s own hand came out of the water and wrapped around Ten’s wrist to make sure. </p><p>Looking up, their eyes met. Ten leaned forwards, bumping their knees together as his weight shifted, and Yangyang’s breath became short. Was Ten going to kiss him, again? Yangyang maybe kind of wouldn’t mind it. Not that he <em> wanted </em> it to happen again, but if it just so <em> happened... </em> A rush of excitement went through him, and okay, Yangyang could at least acknowledge he was lying to himself. </p><p>A small part of his mind begging caution with such thoughts, and asked what it was he was actually feeling. Was it simply excitement over something new or did it run deeper? Were either acceptable to act upon? And did Ten feel the same, or was all of it a part of their disguise? Such doubts were faint and easy to ignore, especially as Ten was so close to him, and Yangyang willingly squashed it down in favour of impulse. </p><p>Their faces were less than a hand-length apart, steam rising between them making Yangyang’s vision blur. As Ten ran his thumb over his lips, he parted them, feeling the pad of his thumb smear wet saliva across his lower lip, and his hand tightened around Ten’s wrist. </p><p>Yangyang swallowed dryly, torn between leaning forward and closing the distance between them himself, or tugging on Ten’s arm and pulling him into him. But then as Ten brushed their noses together, he stayed still, deciding to let Ten do what he wanted. The muffled voices were their only warning before the door to the hallway opened. </p><p>The moment between them was broken and Ten shrank up against Yangyang, trying to hide his body from the other couple as they entered the room. Yangyang wrapped his arms around him, holding him close as adrenaline pumped through him. His mind felt foggy as it scrambled to adjust to the situation, knowing if they messed this up now, everything would be ruined. </p><p>The other couple greeted them as they gathered towels.  </p><p>Yangyang smiled back at them. “Hello,” he said as Ten curled further into his chest. </p><p>No-one said anything more, and the couple moved away to the far end of the pool to undress. Yangyang shifted around, keeping his back to them and Ten from their line of sight. Over his and Ten’s shaky breaths, he heard them giggling as they took their clothes off, then the quiet splash of water as they climbed into the hot water. </p><p>Yangyang wondered what they must look like to the couple. He hoped they looked like a shy, modest couple who weren’t used to others being around them naked. He hoped they couldn’t tell that Ten was practically sitting in his lap now, and he had him crowded against the edge of the pool with the stone bench digging into his kneecaps. </p><p>Steam kept rising around their faces and Yangyang felt dizzy. Ten’s nails were leaving painful indents in his arms, but he didn’t dare make any movements to pull away while Ten was so unnerved. He carefully listened to the other couple as they splashed and moved around in the water. When it seemed they had settled down in the bath, happily minding their own business and not making any kind of sound they were going to come over to them, Ten slowly peeled away. </p><p>Makeup was running down his flushed cheeks, again. He licked his lips and swallowed. “...I can’t leave the water until after they’ve gone,” he said quietly. </p><p>“Don’t worry. We’ll stay as long as we have to.” Yangyang was impressed by how steady his voice was. </p><p>“We shouldn’t have come in here,” Ten sighed. “I was being selfish…” </p><p>“It’s <em>fine,” </em>Yangyang stressed. “They barely looked at us when they came in. Nothing bad has happened.”</p><p>Ten sighed again, looking remorseful, so Yangyang quickly kissed him on his forehead right underneath the looped edge of the towel. Ten let out a strangled squawk and splashed him with hot water. Yangyang spluttered and Ten giggled, and they quickly hushed each other, trying not to burst out into hysterical laughter.  </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully they didn’t have to stay in the bath for long. The other couple complained about how hot the water was and quickly washed up, leaving them alone again. After waiting a long minute to see if they’d return, Ten and Yangyang then scrambled out of the bath, nearly slipping on the tiles. Ten rushed for their clothes while Yangyang lay on the floor, trying to cool his overheated body on the tile. </p><p>When it felt like his brain wasn’t trying to float out of his head anymore, Yangyang crawled over to their bench and dried himself off. When he reached for his clothes, Ten (who already had his wig securely back in place and several towels wrapped around his body) slapped his hand away and told him they needed to change into the white robes the Priestess gave them.</p><p>Yangyang was happy to see that their robes were made of a much thicker fabric than the Priestesses was and didn’t have to worry about people seeing through it, but he also didn’t wear robes often (ever), and found the free-flowing fabric hanging off him left him feeling exposed in an <em>‘if someone attacked him not only did he have no protection, how was he going to fight them in a robe’</em> kind of way. When asked Ten how he could be comfortable wearing something like this all the time, Ten stared at him blankly, not understanding the question. </p><p>“It is comfortable,” Ten replied, and Yangyang didn’t bother continuing. </p><p> </p><p>Wrapped up in their matching white robes and sandals, Ten took Yangyang on a tour of The Lady’s Temple. He told him the stories that went with the stained glass art - like The Lady helping reunite lost lovers, or her blessing the union of a prince and princess long ago which brought upon The Hundred Years of Peace. He pointed out different features in the Temple that one might not even notice, often telling a story to go along with it. </p><p>“Initiates are often made to assist in the kitchens when they first arrive,” he said as he pointed down a nondescript corridor that led to the kitchen. “They make it seem like the most important work in the entire Temple. Everyone eats what you prepare, so you must make sure it is made with the utmost care and love, for they’re taking it into their bodies. The other Initiates and I often sang hymns while we worked, as if we could infuse the food with The Lady’s power,” he laughed.   </p><p>He pointed out other places - the place he and another Initiate used to meet up to exchange dried fruits for candied nuts stolen from the kitchen, and a hidden nook behind the plum curtains in the library that was just big enough for him to sneak behind and nap. With each story, the wistful expression on his face grew, and Yangyang began to wonder if he regretted coming back. None of the Priestesses they crossed paths with recognised Ten, but he knew who all of them were. The Priestess they passed near the private rooms had once knocked over a candle and set her hair on fire during a ceremony, and another near the storerooms was notorious for forgetting names of both regular patrons and Priestesses alike.  </p><p>Continuing their exploration, Yangyang and Ten left the Temple through the back doors and stepped down into a beautiful garden. Flowers of every colour were blooming, and birds chirped from their hiding spots in the trees. At the bottom of the stairs was an archway made of twisting vines, the branches thick having taken hold of the metal frame years before. White flowers hung down in bunches, with fuzzy bees flying around them. A stone pathway went through the archway and into the garden beyond. </p><p>“Wow,” Yangyang exclaimed as Ten took his hand, leading him through the archway and on a slow walk through the garden. </p><p>“The Priestesses care for the garden, too,” Ten said, pointing out a figure crouched down not far away, weeding. Unlike the Priestesses they passed inside, they weren’t wearing white, but instead khaki coloured clothes with a straw hat and gloves. “Some people really enjoy it, others less so. We would often switch duties with each other.”</p><p>“What did you enjoy?”</p><p>Past the Priestess gardening, the garden path led them around a high hedge and to a hidden pond, decorated with smooth rocks and lily pads with pink flowers floating in the water. A faint stream of water tumbled over the large rocks and trickled into the pond in steady splashes. Brightly coloured fish swam around in the water.</p><p>“I liked being with people,” Ten replied. “I mostly worked with the guests and patrons who came in, helping them find the answers and guidance they needed. I was often in the hall, like the Priestess we first met.”</p><p>“Oh? So if I had come by the Temple years ago, I definitely would have met you,” Yangyang said. He turned to Ten, smiling cheekily. “What would you have done, if I had shown up being, like, a bright, young boy needing your guidance in the ways of love.”</p><p>“‘My guidance-’ Oh my Gods.” Ten pressed his hand to his face, his shoulders shaking with laughter.  </p><p>“Come on, Ten!” Yangyang tugged on his arm. </p><p>Ten laughed again as his hand came away from his face. “And what is it you want me to teach you, bright, young boy?”   </p><p>“About love, of course!” Yangyang repeated, biting the inside of his lip to stop himself from grinning. </p><p>“Love is multi-layered and complex,” Ten said, sounding more like Kun as he began a lecture rather than a Priestess. “It’s something so pure that came from The Lady herself. She placed a small part inside all of us when life was first created. It’s something Her Priestesses dedicate their lives to understand. You will need to be more specific about what it is you need help with.” </p><p>“Umm… well you see, there’s, like, a void in my heart that no amount of thieving or gold can fill.” Yangyang screwed up his nose, his grin pained as he cringed. “Oh my Gods.” </p><p>Ten laughed, of course. “You’re so cute. That's something everyone experiences! The Lady took a part of herself and split it into millions of pieces, giving everyone a small shard. That emptiness and longing you feel is that shard of love inside of you, wanting to reconnect with other pieces to become whole again.”</p><p>“Wait, really?” </p><p>Ten nodded, smiling. “There’s a belief of a ‘soulmate’ some people have, but what we’re taught at the Temple isn’t as simple as that. There isn’t a single person out there who can complete you, and you're not destined for loneliness if you’re unable to find them. It wouldn’t make sense, would it? Why would you put all that pressure on a single, romantic partner when you can experience love with others that can be just as fulfilling? Isn’t the love between a mother and babe just as strong? Or between two comrades on the battlefield, trusting the other with their lives? </p><p>“As we connect with others, whether it be with a lover or a friend, our heart strengthens. With every connection we make, the shards slowly piece themselves back together, growing towards the whole perfection it once was.” </p><p>“But… I’m never going to complete the shards,” Yangyang said, desperately. “If everyone has a shard inside of them then, like, I literally have to make friends with <em> everyone. </em> I know closer to <em> no-one </em> than <em> everyone. </em> I have, like, you and WayV and my parents, but that’s it…” </p><p>Ten was smiling so warmly at him. “It isn’t something we <em> can </em>complete, silly. If we could, we’d be on the same level as the Gods. It’s a gift from The Lady to help guide us through this confusing, imperfect life we live.” </p><p>“But…” Yangyang was struggling to wrap his mind around the subject that Ten just dropped on him. Yes, he had started it, but when he had asked Ten to teach him about love he had half-formed thoughts of Ten pressing him against a tree and kissing him, not lessons in philosophy. </p><p>Maybe his manifesting was partially successful because Ten leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. “Our shards are connected, aren’t they? We love each other?”</p><p>“I love you,” Yangyang answered. “I love everyone in WayV.”</p><p>Ten’s eyes crinkled in joy. “I love you, too.”</p><p>Realisation struck Yangyang he nearly stumbled as his knees went weak. “But if our shards are connected, then The Lady totally won’t be angry about the ceremony, right?! Because we, like, love each other so much and that’s what she wants!”</p><p>Ten’s smile was wider than he’d ever seen it. “That’s what I’ve been <em> telling </em> you from the beginning. We have nothing to worry about.” </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Black Crystal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the sun set over The Lady’s Temple and the two moons began to rise over the darkening horizon, the blinding white stone turned golden. Dinner followed shortly after, and was held in a dining hall overlooking the garden, large enough to fit a hundred people. There were no windows to look out onto the garden, but rather the exterior wall was vacant, with white columns separating the inside of the temple from the garden. Metal fire pits kept the chill away, and in the distance, lanterns burned along the winding stone path, lighting up the garden.  </p><p>A large grazing spread was laid out on a table, free for them to pick and choose what they’d like. After loading up his plate (Yangyang helped himself to a selection of cheeses, cured meat and fruit, his appetite back and flourishing after learning that he <em> wasn’t </em> setting himself up for a Godly smiting) he sat down at one of the long tables. Another couple was already sitting at the far end of the table, but with so few of them there that evening, there was more than enough space for them to talk without being overheard.</p><p>Ten was still at the grazing table, slowly picking out food to eat (and therefore not paying attention to Yangyang) so he seized his opportunity. Quickly, he pulled out the nearly empty bottle of poison and finished it with a gulp. With Ten’s back still turned to him, he shoved it back into the inner pocket of his robe. He was starting to see the appeal of robes - with all the excessive, billowing fabric, it was <em> so </em>easy to conceal things in it! Plucking several grapes, Yangyang popped them in his mouth, pleased with himself. No indigestion for him today! Poison tasted better when it wasn’t on an empty stomach (and when he wasn’t out in the middle of the forest on a bathroom break). </p><p>“A free bath, free food and a quiet place to lay low,” Yangyang said when Ten sat down next to him. He sucked on a plump strawberry, the red liquid running down his chin making Ten’s lip curl in mild disgust. “We should, like, make a habit of this. Since it’s established we won’t be breaking any of The Lady’s rules. The others can do it, too! Whenever we’re in the city we could, like, take turns! Or all come together!”  </p><p>“Free? Have you forgotten the donation I made when we arrived?” Ten said, his fake voice perfectly in place. </p><p>“Donations are suggestions, not requirements.”</p><p>“It’s <em> strongly </em>implied you make them,” Ten replied. “If we didn’t make any donation to the Temple, the Priestesses would be watching us far more closely.” </p><p>“Well, that’s just classist. What if we’re, like, poor peasants who can’t afford it? Everyone has a heart-shard, not just the rich.”</p><p>“Baby, Priestesses are trained to read people. They’d recognise a farmer and know they couldn’t match that kind of donation. But if an affluent couple <em> didn’t </em>offer anything, they’d wonder why. It would gain us extra attention, which we don’t want.” </p><p>Yangyang grumbled under his breath, unhappy with the fact an omnipotent God required money (again, <em> another </em> reason he liked The Beggar) and Ten scolded him. </p><p>“A God’s grace can’t keep a temple maintained. Gold moves the mortal world.” </p><p>“It does,” Yangyang agreed morosely, chewing on another strawberry. </p><p>Looking around the dining hall, he made note of the other people with them. There were eight others, including a motherly looking Priestess and a young Initiate standing near one of the fire pits. The rest were other couples waiting for the ceremony: the two in the furthest corner were wearing non-Priestess issued cloaks that covered their faces and looked so suspicious Yangyang believed they couldn’t <em> possibly </em>be up to anything fraudulent: another were by the grazing table, giggling and whispering loudly that they were going to get into trouble while taking their third plateful; the last couple were the ones sitting on the same table as Yangyang and Ten, and were looking straight at them. </p><p>Meeting Yangyang’s eye, they both perked up and waved, like they had been trying to catch his attention for a while. He smiled and nodded back, to which they took as an invitation and stood up. Holding their plates, the couple walked over to them, friendly smiles on their faces.</p><p>“Hello again!” The woman greeted them. “Can we join you? We were so awkward earlier, we didn’t know if it was proper to introduce ourselves or not. We wanted to make a fresh start!” She laughed. </p><p>Yangyang stared at them blankly for a long moment before realising what she was talking about. It was the couple from the baths! No wonder he didn't recognise them, he had a million other pressing issues at the time, and wasn’t paying attention to what they looked like. Now, he had the chance, he saw they were an older couple than them (maybe a decade, given the faint wrinkles around their eyes and mouth) and wearing the same white robes the Priestess gave them. The woman’s hair was dark and curly, pulled back from her face with leather string, while the man’s light hair was already receding into widow peaks. </p><p>“Of course you can!” Ten said, enthusiastically, cutting through Yangyang's thoughts of early male pattern balding, and gestured for them to join them. </p><p>“We’ve never been in a bath like that before, we didn’t know what was the proper courtesy,” the balding partner said, sitting opposite Yangyang. “We’re not from the city. Are public baths common here? Are you allowed to talk to other people in them?” </p><p>As the couple waited for an answer, Yangyang looked at Ten. “I’m not sure?” Ten said, scrunching his nose cutely. “We’re from a small town, too. It doesn’t seem right, does it? To chat in the baths? I don’t think I would have felt so uncomfortable if there were separate baths for men and women, but…” He looked down, too embarrassed to finish.  </p><p>“That’s what I thought!” The woman looked relieved to hear another woman say it. “I was so worried we were behaving rudely, so I’m glad we weren't the only ones!”   </p><p>They began making small talk, discussing the Temple and the gardens, and the conversation shifted to their own stories of how they met. Yangyang animatedly told them the story about sneaking in through Ten’s window (omitting, of course, the part where Ten had him begging for The Reaper’s forgiveness before he even realised it was the wrong room), and the couple told them a far less interesting story. </p><p>As they explained they had grown up in the same town together as children, never knowing each other well despite being similar ages and having the same group of friends, Yangyang noticed that Ten’s gaze had fixated on the pendant around the woman’s neck, sitting just above the edges of her white robes. It was a simple black gem with silver prongs holding it in place, gleaming in the light. Noticing Ten’s attention, the woman touched her neck lightly, jolting Ten out of his stupor.</p><p>“Ah, sorry!” He said. “I was captivated by your pendant.”</p><p>“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” The woman smiled, touching the silver chain lightly with her fingers.   </p><p>“It is! If I’m not mistaken, it’s a magical gem?” </p><p>“Oh.” The woman blinked in surprise. “Oh, I’m not sure about that! It’s been passed down through my family for generations. There are rumours one of my great-great-grandfathers was a mage, but it’s just silly family gossip!”  </p><p>“Do you practice magic?” The man asked Ten. </p><p>Yangyang saw Ten’s eyes flicker between them, assessing quickly, before saying, “of course not! Though…” Ten’s voice dropped, and he glanced theatrically around to see if anyone else was listening. “I was told by a mage once that I have an aptitude for magic, but it’s not something I would ever pursue.”</p><p>The couple nodded in sympathy. “We live near The Magician’s Circle,” the woman admitted. “Every family in town has a story about a magical relative, whether it be truth or tale. We always get them coming into town, buying all kinds of herbs and farm animals for their rituals...” She shuddered. “I would never speak ill of a God, but… Magic is dangerous and putting so many people like that together is only asking for trouble.” </p><p>“I heard there was, like, an accident there recently,” Yangyang said. “An explosion?”</p><p>The couple laughed, humourlessly. “When isn’t there something getting blown up?” The man said. </p><p>“When you have so many dangerous people like that together, they start to conspire,” the woman said in a hushed tone. “What if they form their own army and start a revolt?”</p><p>Yangyang and Ten didn’t reply straight away, carefully considering their next words. Finally, Yangyang said, “but, like, magic is just the same as other weapons. Is there any difference between, like, being like run through by lightning and being stabbed with a sword? You would still die.” </p><p>“A mage could strike twenty people down with lightning before a warrior even draws their sword,” the man argued back. “And a warrior must <em> train </em>before they can deliver that kind of deadly offence, whereas an untrained mage is potentially even more dangerous than a skilled one!” </p><p>“I mean, farmers are dangerous, too. My grandpa served in The Carnage of Cloverfall, and his General’s said that, like, he and the other farmers fought better than the actual soldiers who-”</p><p>“My fiancé has a big heart,” Ten interrupted, placing his hand on Yangyang’s. “His kindness is what I love most about him. His innocence is so endearing.” </p><p>“I’m not innoce-” </p><p>“Hush, baby.” </p><p>Yangyang’s face went red as Ten smiled mischievously at him, and the other couple laughed. Pursing his lips, Yangyang fought against the impulse to tell Ten off and further draw attention to their dynamic as it spiralled. </p><p>“If it works for you,” the man commented, still laughing at Yangyang’s silence.  </p><p>Yangyang shoved a mouthful of cured meat in his mouth, nearly choking on the chewy texture. Ten handed him his cup of water.  </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>There was a mere hour left before the ceremony when they finished dinner, so Yangyang and Ten feigned tiredness to their new friends, and claimed they were going to find a quiet room to nap in before the Priestesses summoned them for the ceremony. They really wanted to check that their things were all packed up and ready for them to leave as soon as possible, but the others didn’t need to know that. </p><p>“Can you believe she has a black crystal and doesn’t even know it?!” Ten rounded on Yangyang the moment they were alone in a quiet corridor, his voice and disguise in pieces as his bottled up frustrations came out. “She lives near <em>The Magician’s Circle,</em> by the love of The Lady! Some mages would <em> kill </em> for one, she’s lucky she hasn’t encountered any misfortunes! Then again, mages from The Circle are all so proper and righteous, they probably wouldn’t even dare consider <em> using </em> a black crystal let alone...” Ten reigned in his rant, and let out a frustrated sigh. “If we weren’t on this mission right now…” He sighed again.</p><p>“Well then my beautiful, fiery fiancé, you’d better start thinking about ways you can show how much you love me.” The huge grin on Yangyang’s face ached as he held up the pendant, the black crystal hanging from the silver chain.</p><p>Ten gaped at him, completely speechless. “You.. what…?” Ten hurried over, snatching the pendant from Yangyang’s hands viciously. “Yangyang, you <em> didn’t…”  </em></p><p>He held the pendant flat in the palm of his hand, the magic from the crystal already affecting his mana. If Yangyang had magical abilities, he would see the black tendrils seeping out from the crystal, wrapping around his hand and creeping up his arm like black smoke. Instead, all he saw was Ten gasp and drop the pendant, the silver chain catching on his fingers stopping it from clattering to the ground. </p><p>“Yangyang this is…” Ten began laughing, almost hysterically, and Yangyang became worried he was about to start crying. “Oh my Gods, I can’t believe you stole it…”</p><p>“You can’t?” </p><p>Oh no, Ten had started crying. The last of the makeup that survived the hot bath was now running down his face as he hiccuped, and panicking, Yangyang patted his shoulder. “Don’t cry, it’s okay-” He began to say before Ten nearly knocked them both over when he threw himself at him. Yangyang’s back hit the stone wall behind him painfully, and something (either his ribs or spine) cracked as Ten squeezed him. </p><p>“I love you,” Ten said, already sounding nasally and clogged. “I <em> love </em>you.” Then he began planting kisses across Yangyang’s cheeks, making him squirm as he tried to get away. </p><p>“Ten, stop it-ack!” When a string of spit connecting Ten’s lips to Yangyang’s cheek snapped, Yangyang pushed him away, wiped his face. “And you called <em> me </em>a puppy before, and you’re now, like, slobbering all over me.” </p><p>Ten laughed, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his robe. “A puppy huh,” he said, and it was the only warning Yangyang had before- </p><p><em> “Ewww! </em> No! Ten, bad- <em>No!” </em>Yangyang shrieked loudly, desperately trying to pry Ten away as Ten licked his face, disgustingly. </p><p>“But I want to show you how much I love you~” Ten’s voice warbled through his laughter. He somehow managed to catch Yangyang in a headlock and ran his wet tongue from his cheek up to his temple. </p><p>“The moment the ceremony is over, we’re getting a divorce,” Yangyang grunted, struggling to pry Ten’s hands away from his head. </p><p>“Can I keep the crystal?”</p><p>Yangyang considered. “Yes, but I want, like, compensation for the recent suffering I have been subjected to.”</p><p>“Hmm… Kun has a scroll for an invisibility spell. It has instructions to inscribe the runes onto armour,” Ten suggested, and Yangyang gasped. </p><p>“And you’ve been <em> keeping </em>that from me? That’s, like, definitely grounds for divorce. You might have my heart-shard, but you won’t keep my hand in marriage after this betrayal.”</p><p>Ten gasped. “But baby, I love you so much. The only time I would ever betray you would be over something small and for my own immediate gain.”</p><p>“You’re terrible.” Yangyang shook his head sadly, thinking about all the times Ten had tricked him into giving up the nicest part of game meat, or the sleeping spot that was out of the chilly wind so he could put his sleeping roll there instead.  </p><p> “I love you so much, I would learn elemental magic just so I could strike down twenty people with lightning. I raise an army of undead and take over cities for you.”</p><p>“You’d better,” Yangyang grumbled, knowing Ten <em> probably </em>wouldn’t do it, but that he could. It was the sentiment that mattered. </p><p>“Anything for you, baby,” Ten said, his brown eyes shining. “Are you ready to get married?” </p><p> </p><p>Yangyang almost had to pry the crystal from Ten’s hands and hide it with their possessions before going to the main hall, because Ten <em> definitely </em>couldn’t walk around the Temple wearing it. Ten had tried to argue with him that no-one would see it under his robes (and there weren’t any mages who’d notice the magic radiating off it, either) but Yangyang remained firm, and told him that the woman would have noticed it was missing by now and probably looking for it. </p><p>It didn’t put too much of a damper on Ten’s mood, who remained positively gleeful when they entered the hall. He was the perfect image of a young woman ready to marry the love of her life, and everyone there could see her excitement and joy. They sat down on one of the benches before The Lady’s altar, and Ten grasped Yangyang’s hands tightly, his foot jittering against the floor. </p><p>There were more people in the hall than Yangyang expected and far more than those who attended dinner. A handful of Priestesses hurried around, making the final preparations before the ceremonies began, while everyone else waited, seated on the benches. The couples stood out in their white robes (except for the suspicious couple who still had cloaks covering their faces) but others were sitting further back, who Yangyang assumed to be family and friends attending. </p><p>“When the hall lights up, the ceremonies will begin,” Ten whispered Yangyang, who didn’t quite understand what that meant at first. The hall looked so different at night than during the day. Where the glass ceiling had let in so much daylight, making the room look so clean and colourful, now everything was dark and intimate. The sconces on the walls were burning, as was all the candles around The Lady’s altar, but they didn’t provide a great deal of light. </p><p>As they waited, a low hum of excited chatter filled the hall. A Priestess placed a golden jug upon the altar with a matching goblet beside it, while another re-lit a few candles around the shrine than had blown out. The couple who kept going back for more food during dinner was turning and waving at the people sitting behind them, making their audience cheer. Beside them, the curly-haired woman kept touching her bare neck where her pendant had once hung from, frowning despondently.  </p><p>Then, in the dark sky above them, the moons began to slowly creep into view. Soft light filtered into the hall, shining through the coloured glass, and the shadowy, white stone began to glow. In the centre of the room, the statue of The Lady shone. Yangyang felt his mouth hang open, and faint gasps of wonder came from the others as the hall transformed, shifting to an ethereal plane with them inside. </p><p>Ten gave a soft sigh beside him, his expression a mixture of sadness and yearning as he stared up at the moons, and Yangyang squeezed his hand. Ten looked down at him, and tried to smile reassuringly at him, but the pain was still evident. </p><p>While everyone else was staring around at the Temple, captivated, Yangyang pressed his forehead to Ten’s. “Are you okay?” He whispered. </p><p>“I am with you,” Ten whispered back.</p><p>Yangyang grinned, his nose scrunching. “That’s so cringy.” </p><p>“It’s because I’ve spent too much time with you,” Ten replied, fondly. “I think we do need to get divorced after this.”</p><p>“Definitely,” Yangyang agreed, still grinning. </p><p>A Priestess stepped up to the altar and stood in front of The Lady with her hands clasped in front of her body. She glanced over at Yangyang and Ten, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Yangyang’s face burned and he quickly leaned away from Ten. “Good evening,” the Priestess said. “I would like to welcome you, and thank each and every one of you for being here on this wonderful evening. I feel truly honoured to guide you tonight as Our Beloved Lady blesses your union.</p><p>“You have come before The Lady to share in one of the most beautiful moments we can experience together. Many of you have travelled great distances to be here, and there is no accident that you have arrived together. I hope you find solidarity, not just with your partner tonight, but with everyone else here, too. You all have the same, pure love for another, and it is what unites you. Our lives aren’t meant to be in seclusion but shared with others, and that is something you have all found.” </p><p>The Priestess took a moment to smile at each of the couples. Yangyang stared back, his eyes starting to glaze over, which only got worse as she began talking again. She gave a brief history of The Lady and Her Temple, emphasising how no-one would be turned away from receiving her love, for The Lady is forgiving and wise. Then she started talking about a royal wedding to occur in the summer. And then something about donations. </p><p>Oh Gods, Yangyang was going to kiss Ten, again. In front of everyone. What if he couldn’t do it? What if he froze up and started laughing and everyone knew they were frauds? The Lady might be in on their scheme, but Her Priestesses certainly weren’t. He had to be convincing. <em> He had to kiss Ten convincingly. </em>Yangyang’s heartbeat quickened. </p><p>Ten elbowed him in the ribs. </p><p>“I would like to begin tonight’s ceremonies by inviting our first couple forward.” </p><p>The food-loving couple stepped up first. Standing before the altar, they glowed in the moonlight shining down on them. Happiness radiated from them, their smiles huge even through their vows, that Yangyang couldn’t help but smile as he watched. When they drank from the goblet the man nearly dropped it, spilling pink liquid all down his white robes, and the woman laughed so much she began crying. When the Priestess announced they could kiss, the woman practically threw herself into the man’s arms and the audience cheered.  </p><p>The next couple to approach the altar were the suspicious-looking ones. The made no effort to remove their dark cloaks, and their faces remained concealed in shadow as they stood in front of the Priestess. They didn’t say a word to her, but their impatience was papable.  </p><p>“Please remove your cloaks,” the Priestess told them kindly. “You have nothing to hide from The Lady.” </p><p>Yangyang half-expected them to protest but they silently compiled and he gasped as their cloaks came off. An ogre and a dark elf?! Together?! No <em> wonder </em>they kept their identities secret. “But aren’t they, like, at war with each other?!” He whispered to Ten, who hushed him. Even without the decades-long war between the two species, they were an odd-looking couple. Each were severe in their own way; the elf’s dark purple skin clashed against the ogre’s khaki green one, the slim, angular build of the elf against the ogre’s bulky one. </p><p>“But <em> how </em>would it even work?!” Yangyang whispered, looking at the ogre’s large tusks. He shouldn’t be judging them… it wasn’t his place. If they loved each other, then that’s all that mattered, right? Love could overcome all challenges and prejudices. Their heart-shards didn’t differentiate between species.  </p><p>“Wait until you see an ogre and a halfling get married, then you’ll start questioning everything,” Ten whispered back, and Yangyang had to slap a hand over his mouth. </p><p>The dark elf and the ogre completed their ceremony to polite applause. They were far more reserved than the first couple, neither expressing more affection than strictly necessary and sealed their marriage with a quick kiss. After stepping away from the altar they pulled their cloaks back on and left the Temple without another word. </p><p>The Priestess didn’t look discouraged by their exit and instead, turned back to the other couples. “Who would like to come forward?” </p><p>There was silence as everyone glanced at each other, waiting to see who would speak up, then-</p><p>“Can we go next?” Ten raised his hand. </p><p>The Priestess smiled at him. “Of course you can,” she said, stretching her arms out like The Lady behind her. </p><p>Yangyang’s heart began to race again as they stood up and walked over to the altar, everyone’s eyes upon them. The Lady looked ethereal in the moonlight, the candles and incense burning around her in worship. If he had thought the statue had looked realistic before, it was nothing to how she looked now, soft light glowing around her. She stared directly at him as he stood next to Ten, before Her and Her Priestess. </p><p>Swallowing, he turned to Ten. The moonlight was shining on him, too, creating a halo around his head as the blonde wig shone golden. His skin glowed, imperfections blurred away, and Yangyang wondered if maybe there was something magical happening. Catching his eye, Ten cocked his head to the side, posing a silent question. He was always watching out for him, even now… </p><p><em> You’re pretty, </em>he mouthed at Ten, who’s nose scrunched up in response, his lips quirking. </p><p>“Are you ready, dear?” The Priestess asked him, looking just as amused as Ten did.  </p><p>Yangyang nodded hastily, and she handed him the goblet. The liquid was milky pink, and Yangyang sniffed it gingerly. There were notes of spiced, vinegary fruits, but it was overpowered by the scent of dried Night Rose.</p><p>“Please repeat my words, speaking to your beloved,” the Priestess instructed, smiling. <em> “Beneath The Lady and Her witnesses…”  </em></p><p>“Beneath The Lady and Her witnesses,” Yangyang dutifully copied, “I take you, T-” He coughed. “I take you, Mira, to be my wife. By drinking from this goblet, I unite our souls, once split in two bodies. I promise to honour you, respect you, and care for you, through riches and loss. I promise to stand by and support you, through joys and challenges.” </p><p>The way Ten was smiling at him made his heart skip, and in that moment he could almost believe it.  </p><p>“I p-promise to love and cherish you, until the end of our lives and into the next.” </p><p>“You may drink from the goblet,” The Priestess told him, her face glowing with happiness.  </p><p>The liquid was almost sickeningly sweet and tasted how Yangyang expected. The bright spiciness of the fruits lifted the liquoricey fragrance of Night Rose, all of it washing down his throat smoothly like warm cream. </p><p>“Now, share the goblet with your beloved,” the Priestess instructed. </p><p>Their hands touched as Ten took the goblet from him, the corner of his mouth curled up. He looked incredibly amused, and if it wasn’t for the affection overflowing from his eyes, Yangyang would think he was trying to hold back laughter.  </p><p>“Now repeat after me,” the Priestess told Ten. <em> “Beneath The Lady and Her witnesses…” </em></p><p>“Beneath The Lady and Her witnesses, I take you…” Ten’s eyes never left Yangyang’s as he spoke, already reciting the lines before the Priestess had even finished, having memorised them many years ago. Yangyang’s heart began to beat quicker, and he faintly noticed how his vision narrowed and darkness grew around the edges of his sight.  </p><p>Holding the goblet up, Ten broke their eye contact for a second to glance down at the liquid inside, before they snapped back up. Yangyang felt short of breath as Ten slowly drank from the goblet, his brown eyes unblinking over the golden rim. </p><p>“... goblet from you, now.” </p><p>Yangyang shook his head, minutely. He had barely heard the Priestess speak. There was a faint buzz reverberating in his head as she kept talking, and he couldn’t focus on the words… Glancing down at the floor, the stone tiles rippled and warped beneath his feet, and he felt himself sway. </p><p>There were more drowned sounds and buzzing in his ears, and Yangyang released something definitely wasn’t right. He looked up, and Ten was barely more than a blurred shape in front of him, glowing white and gold. He was swimming in and out of his vision, and Yangyang saw the alarmed expression on his face before it faded away. His mouth was moving - he was trying to say something to Yangyang - but his words were mute. </p><p><em>I think I’m…</em>Yangyang didn’t know if he was even speaking. He couldn’t hear his own voice, nor feel his jaw and tongue move. All he could feel was the pounding blood in his skull and the numbness in his body- </p><p>Oh. </p><p>
  <em> “-Hear me?! Yangyang!”  </em>
</p><p><em>Oh, I am going to die ironically, </em>Yangyang thought as his legs gave out. His body crumpled on the stone floor and the last of his vision was consumed by darkness. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Being dead hurt was the first realisation Yangyang had. Which led to his second realisation, that he most likely had been sent to The Reaper’s Abyss as WayV had always joked about. None of them had actually <em> wanted </em> to end up being tortured for their less-than-moral life choices. There were <em> far </em>worse people in the world than them, so why were they all lumped together?! Hopefully, his sentence was short and his soul could return to the mortal plane, soon. </p><p>Oh, but if he had died now, how was he going to find WayV again? His Ma had told him souls travel together, which made sense to him now, if their heart-shards were all connected. Maybe he’d return as someone’s child, and be babied by his new father and uncles? Yangyang shuddered at the thought. </p><p>Something around him moved. There was a frantic shuffling and then a weight leaned in beside him. “Yangyang, are you awake?”  </p><p>Squinting, Yangyang saw the blurry shape of Ten leaning over him. As his eyes slowly focused, he saw Ten was wearing his normal mage robes, his hair dark and short again. That meant he was <em> really </em>deep in the Abyss. He had bypassed the reptilian servants of The Reaper and gone straight to the demon shape-shifters. </p><p>“Yangyang? Baby, can you hear me?” Not-Ten said, touching his forehead. </p><p>“What did I do to deserve this?” Yangyang moaned. He wasn’t looking for an answer (the list of reasons was probably in the hundreds, the last one being <em>‘s</em><em>tole a black crystal from unknowing victim to make Ten happy’) </em> but he <em> really </em>didn’t think he was so awful that he deserved to be mentally and physically tortured by the man!</p><p>“Oh baby, I’m sorry.” Not-Ten looked distraught. “I don’t know what happened. You just collapsed, I don’t…” </p><p>The demon shape-shifter was good. It was portraying Ten’s stupidity perfectly. Unfortunately for it, Yangyang was smarter. “I know I’m dead,” he told it. “You can stop this whole charade.”  </p><p>Not-Ten looked confused. “Baby, you’re not dead. You collapsed during the ceremony, and you’ve just woken up. You’ve been asleep for over a day, now.”</p><p>“Well, if I was still alive, then I would have woken up in gaol.” Yangyang rolled his eyes. He gestured around the room. He was lying in a soft bed, the overpowering scent of Night Rose and candles abusing his nose. “And this isn’t gaol.”</p><p>“We’re still in The Lady’s Temple,” Not-Ten said, confused. It touched Yangyang’s face again, and Yangyang was too weak to push it away. “Baby, you haven’t died.” </p><p>“Uhh, obviously I have? Our disguise was ruined, so we’d be in gaol for, like, literally killing two people and impersonating them. But I’m here, and you’re-” Yangyang nodded to Not-Ten, “looking like that, so I know you’re a shape-shifter. You’ve stolen Ten from my mind.” </p><p>Recognition bloomed on Not-Ten’s face, and it grinned. “Oh Yangyang,” it laughed. </p><p>Yangyang mentally braced himself, ready to see Ten’s skin peel away and the demon to reveal it’s true form. Maybe he should have played along with it some more; pretended to be distraught by the mental and emotional abuse it tried putting him through before they moved onto the more classic tortures. His body still ached from the poison, and he didn’t think he was ready for hot coal and thumb screws yet. </p><p>Yangyang flinched as Not-Ten leaned over him, it face uncomfortably close to his. </p><p>“What’s one thing a shape-shifter can’t copy?” It asked. “Think back to Kun’s lectures when he’s particularly disappointed with us and telling us how we’ll all be tortured in The Reaper’s Abyss.”  </p><p>“Umm… the eyes?” Yangyang answered.</p><p>Not-Ten smiled, pleased. “Because the eyes reflect the soul, yes? And the demons in the Abyss don’t have souls, so a shape-shifter can never copy them. Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.”   </p><p>Yangyang stared into Not-Ten’s eyes, but he didn’t see glowing rings around the pupils, or fiery pits. He just saw dark brown eyes staring back at him. “Ten...?” </p><p>Ten smiled at him. “Hi, baby.” </p><p>Emotion rushed up in Yangyang’s chest and he blinked rapidly trying to fight it off. “I thought I died,” he told Ten.</p><p>Chuckling, Ten kissed his forehead. “I know, I’ve been here the whole time.” </p><p>“But how?” Yangyang twisted his head around again, checking where they were. They definitely were still in The Lady’s Temple; the smell of burning candles and incense was still there. White fabric fixed to the ceiling above him draped down, framing the corners of the bed, and somewhere beyond the walls, he could hear the faint, peaceful sounds of birds chirping and water splashing. “I was poisoned, wasn’t I? The liquid in the goblet was poisoned.”</p><p>“I don’t know what happened.” Ten looked distressed. “I drank from the goblet too, and I’m fine. It’s just a mixture of stewed fruit, dried Night Rose petals and milk.” </p><p>“Oh Gods,” Yangyang groaned. “Of course.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Um… So, like, remember a few days ago in the carriage when I told you I’d been drinking poison to build up my immunity? And you got angry and told me to stop,” he said sheepishly. </p><p>“Yes…”</p><p>“And, like, remember that Night Rose is an amplifying ingredient in poison making, as it reacts with poisons, strengthening their effects.”</p><p>Ten’s eyes widen with alarm. “Yangyang,” he said warningly.</p><p>“So maybe, like, I might have kept drinking poison? After I said I wouldn’t? Like, during dinner tonight? When you weren’t looking.”  </p><p>Ten looked like he was going to strangle him. “You… Yangyang, you could have <em> died." </em></p><p>“But I didn’t!”</p><p>“You thought you did! You were just babbling that you thought I was a demonic shape-shifter!” </p><p>“It’s <em>fine,” </em>Yangyang said, perhaps too flippantly as Ten’s mouth pursed into a thin line and his nostrils flared. Yangyang deflated quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the mission…”</p><p>Ten’s anger simmered back, but Yangyang knew he wasn’t out of dangerous territory yet. “You didn’t,” he said, begrudgingly. “The Priestesses recognised me the moment I entered the Temple.”</p><p>“...What?” </p><p>“They recognised me,” he repeated, sighing. “They knew we weren’t the couple from Blackridge Pass from the very beginning. Even if you didn’t have that reaction to the drink, the mission still would have failed.”  </p><p>“Why didn't they say something?” Yangyang asked, confused. “Why did they let us go ahead with it? Were they wanting to see how far we’d go?” </p><p>Ten hesitated. “They thought we loved each other,” he admitted. “Well, they still <em> do. </em>While you were asleep, I was approached by the High Priestess. She thinks I was too ashamed to return to the Temple after how I had left, and so we concocted this scheme to get married. I… didn’t correct her. She even invited us to attend the ceremony again, this time as our real selves.” He chuckled.  </p><p>Yangyang’s half-poisoned brain struggled to piece together what this all meant. “So what about the real couple?”</p><p>“As far as I’m aware, the Priestesses are still waiting for them. They think the couple is still alive and making their way across the kingdom. They think we picked their names up from tavern rumours, or the like.” </p><p>“Then the mission isn’t a failure, yet!” Yangyang struggled to sit up. His vision immediately began swimming and his eyeballs felt like they weren’t properly attached in his head. Ten held his shoulders as he swayed. “We… we can try again, right?”</p><p>Ten’s smile radiated happiness. Through Yangyang’s struggling, poison-addled vision, he could almost see it, like a pretty, glowing rainbow. “We can,” he agreed. “In fact, the real couple can come to the Temple, now.”</p><p>“Umm… no they can’t?” They were buried in a paddock back in Duskwood. Yangyang’s brain felt like it was thumping inside his skull. He really wasn’t in the right state to be doing so much thinking. </p><p>Ten pulled out the silver chain from the collar of his robe, the black crystal dangling on the end. “I think I could convincingly animate their bodies with this,” he said, pleased. </p><p>“But don’t we need to, like, get them out of the ground- Oh, that’s nasty.” Yangyang scrunched up his nose as realisation hit. </p><p>“What, has my baby thief never been grave digging before?”</p><p>“No! I have, like, <em> some </em>morals, you know.” </p><p>“The social stigma is worse than the act itself,” Ten told him. “Our other option is for someone who the Priestesses <em> haven’t </em> seen before can pose as them, again. Winwin, Lucas and Xiaojun arrived in the city this morning. I nearly had to fight them all off from storming the Temple to see you. Kun was so angry when I told them what happened, I think he was ready to kick me out of WayV. As if you poisoning yourself was somehow my fault.” Ten shot Yangyang a dirty glare.  </p><p>Yangyang ignored him. “And they listened to you?” </p><p>“I’m surprised they’ve managed to stay away for this long. Everyone’s worried about you.” </p><p>“I’m kind of ready to get out of here,” Yangyang admitted. “Pretending to be a nobleman was, like, fun and all, but I want to do some simple missions for a while.” He stretched out his hands to Ten, silently asking him to help him up. </p><p>“Selling ourselves to quarrelling lords and clearing out ancient crypts?” </p><p>“Oh my Gods. My body’s tender right now, don't get me too excited.” </p><p>In fact, his body felt like some kind of congealed, meat-jelly as Ten heaved him up onto his feet, and clung onto him in fear of facing the floor again. “Do you need me to carry you out, baby?” Ten asked, teasingly as Yangyang put all of his weight on him, his knees wobbling badly.</p><p>“Not just yet,” Yangyang replied stubbornly, clinging tighter onto Ten’s robes, threatening to tear the fabric.   </p><p> </p><p>Late in the afternoon, The Lady’s Temple was beginning its transition into night. The white stone was turning golden in the setting sunlight, and a group of new couples had gathered inside, excitedly waiting for the ceremony. Under the watchful eye of the cook, Initiates in the kitchen were finishing up preparing dinner, whispering a prayer to The Lady for her blessing of the meal before taking the platters to the dining hall. The Priestesses outside sprinkled shreds of leafy greens into the pond for the fish, while others began lighting the lanterns outside before it became too dark. </p><p>Inside the main hall, a Priestess was talking to an unusual group that had just walked in. </p><p>“The Lady recognises the love races, genders and species,” she told them. “Love is universal and something she has gifted to everyone. You have nothing to worry about, in Her Temple.” </p><p>“My mother was an elf and had many husbands,” a tall, muscular woman told her. Standing beside her, a shorter woman and man held each of her hands. “This is something natural to me. I need to know that we will be accepted here, before we consider going through with the ceremony. It would be a most precious time to us, and we must know it will be treated with respect.” </p><p>“You have nothing to worry about,” the Priestess assured her. “It is true that relationships involving multiple partners aren't common in human races, however, The Lady doesn’t discriminate. We’ve had many elves such as yourself receive Her Blessing over the years.”</p><p>“...What are they doing?” Yangyang whispered from the doorway into the main hall. </p><p>“They didn’t wait,” Ten replied, shaking his head in disappointment. </p><p>After leaving the bedroom, they snuck towards the main hall with all intentions of leaving. But they had barely made it two steps into the hall before stopping dead, their fight or flight instincts triggered by what they saw before them. In the centre of the hall was the rest of the WayV Mercenaries. </p><p>Lucas towered over the Priestess as he spoke to her. He wore a dress. And a wig. And somehow made an incredibly beautiful, yet muscular woman. Holding one of his hands was Winwin. Who also wore a dress. He was more convincing than Lucas, with red curls framing his round, cute face, and oversized dress swallowing his frame. Holding his other hand was Xiaojun who gained points for not wearing any women’s clothing, but unfortunately lost many more for trying to grow a beard. </p><p>Standing a short distance behind them was Hendery and Kun. Hendery looked as handsome and dashing as he normally did, and Kun… Kun looked like he was having too much fun pretending to be a woman. He clung onto Hendery, giggling into his hand as Lucas talked to the Priestess.  </p><p>“I want you to feel as comfortable as possible,” the Priestess said to Lucas. “If you’d like, I can show you around the Temple, and you can learn more about us.”</p><p>Lucas’s face lit up, finally getting to what they came there for. “Yes, that would be-” His voice broke, dropping down to a deep tone and he clamped his hand over his mouth in horror. Winwin’s eyes widened in panic, and Xiaojun patted his back, comfortingly. </p><p>“I know how exciting this must be for you,” Xiaojun said in a voice far deeper than his normal one. "I, too, am elated." Behind him, Kun and Hendery clung onto each other, smothering their laughter, unable to look on anymore. </p><p>Well, that was something Yangyang wanted to have no part of. He didn’t even know why he had even bothered entertaining the idea that the others could pretend to be the couple. It was lucky he had stolen the black crystal for Ten! “Is there a back door we can sneak out through?” He asked Ten. </p><p>“Through the kitchens,” Ten replied, taking his hand. “Let’s go before they see us.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading! 💚</p><p>I’m so excited for WayV’s comeback next week! Every single one of them has attacked me, I can’t even handle this group. I’m glad this got finished before the mv got released because idk how I’d go about posting from the grave...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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